What is "friends of Dorothy"?

[sandravb79]

Hello all,

 

I am just back from my first RCCL cruise, had a great time, bu have one question that for some reason I didn't get answered on board:

What is/ are "friends of Dorothy"?

I know about friends of Bill W, but have no clue about Dorothy, and I am kind of curious.

[klingoncruiser]

Gay group meeting.

[CruiseLover15]

When in doubt, check WikiPedia

 

In gay slang, a "friend of Dorothy" (occasionally abbreviated FOD) is a term for a gay man.[1] The phrase dates back to at least World War II, when homosexual acts were illegal in the United States. Stating that, or asking if, someone was a "friend of Dorothy" was a euphemism used for discussing sexual orientation without others knowing its meaning. The origin of the term is unknown and there are various theories.[2] A similar term "friend of Mrs King" (ie Queen) was used in England, mostly in the first half of the 20th century.[3]

Most commonly it is stated that "friend of Dorothy" refers to the film The Wizard of Oz because Judy Garland, who starred as the main character Dorothy, is a gay icon. In the film, Dorothy is accepting of those who are different. For example the "gentle lion" living a lie, "I'm afraid there's no denyin', I'm just a dandy lion."[4][5]

Others claim that the phrase refers to celebrated humorist and critic Dorothy Parker, who included some gay men in her famous social circle.

[OttoCal]

Also, check out this article posted here on CC:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=188

[sandravb79]

Thanks for the explanation, I learned somehing new.

I never heard my brother refer to himself as a friend of Dorothy though... hmm...