A beard refers to a person involved in a relationship with a gay individual to disguise their sexual orientation. Traditionally, this typically occurs between a gay man and a lesbian, although variations like 'merkin' and 'frock' exist for different relationship contexts. The term 'beard' is rooted in the history of lavender dating or front dating and gained broader recognition in the 1960s as homosexual relationships became more visible. It highlights the intersections of heterosexual and queer identities in social contexts.
A beard is a person who - knowingly or unknowingly - dates or marries a gay person so that that individual can hide their sexuality. By appearing as though they are part of a heterosexual relationship, the idea was to negate any possibility of them being seen as queer.
According to The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, a beard is 'a person who escorts another to a social function in order to mask the identity of one or the other's lover or sexual orientation.' It seems as if this definition dates back only as far as 1956.
Beard can be used in heterosexual and queer contexts. However, the term has become engrained in LGBTQ+ communities.
The word entered the vernacular more widely in the 1960s, a time when the usage became more understood as homosexual relationships became more visible.
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