Okama gay

Notes about Okama culture:

• Homosexuality in Japan is treated very, very differently than it is in most Western culture. Insomuch as often the representation of those who identify as ‘gay’ are often effeminate or transgendered, and often the two, when spoken of in casual Japanese force, are often confused. 

• For many it is taboo, but Japanese culture is incredibly giving in regard to sexual habits as extended as it does not violate the structure of home and family. It’s treated like a hobby one indulges in. (Which makes the concept of coming out difficult, especially when the language to define oneself is couched in either discriminatory medical terms or transgenderism.) Unlike western counterparts, there is no legal, religious, or other standpoints from which those who are considered gay are judged from, and a majority of people in the land could not definitively relate you why, exactly, homosexuality is a problem. 

• That does not mean that it is not highly stigmatized, and as such one should consider that creature called ‘Okama’ in a negative fashion is very much a slur love it would be in Western culture. Then again there are those withi
  

  Coming Out in Japan From Pots and Pans to Alphabet Soup: Japanese Queer Identities in Context

  It's defended to say that most learners of Japanese desire to experience life in Japan someday. Whether it's for a temporary reside or something more lasting, one of the most fascinating things about living in a foreign nation is the way you experience a shift in identity. For one, your national identity becomes more salient than ever before. Paradoxically, it also becomes less salient, as you find yourself in the loosely-defined category of "foreigner." Based on your outward appearance, you might show as part of the minority or the majority, and the privileges or discrimination you experience in your home country may shift or take on new meanings.

  While we could probably write dozens of articles about the individuality topics above, this article is going to point on less visible identities — those of the LGBTQ+ community. Unlike identities related to your state of origin or ethnic background, queer identities often have to be revealed in order to be recognized. This poses a problem for queer learners of Japanese. How accomplish I come out in Japanese? If I select to come out, perform I k
  
  

  Inside the Secret World of Japan's LGBT+ Slang

  Okama (オカマ) & Onee (オネー)

  Literally, okama means "kettle" and onee (pronounced OH-nay) means "sister." They both refer to men who have develop female after surgeries or used for effeminate guys. At first, okama was solely used, as these traditional Japanese pots stare like they have curvy hips. However, okama was generally considered both repulsive and too sexualized as it also referred to male prostitutes. Popular media, including anime and manga, used the term for outlandish and effete characters. One example is the One Piece character Bentham, better known as Mr. 2 Bon Kurei (seen above is the cover for his song "オカマーチ" or "Okama March").
  
  Recently onee is being used more frequently in the media instead of okama. While both terms can be heard in intimate conversation, okama and onee are not acceptable terms to use in public.

  Onabe (オナベ)

  A parallel with okama referring to a "girly" man, another kitchen tool is used for tomboys: onabe, which means cooking pot. Initially, this legal title was used for female prostitutes who dressed love men for women, now it's also used for women considered masculi
  
  

  Kuso! - What NOT to express in Japanese - swearing, sex, and general rudness

  ekg22

  Okama is something I’ve gotten from manga/anime, like Gintama which has a bunch of okama characters, who are really not just homosexual, they are transsexual characters. So I think that’s implied. A bit appreciate femme gay?! I’m not sure…

  I speculate using English for gay [gei] might give a feeling of distancing from the meaning of the word, which happens to loan words generally speaking, thus they sound less crude somehow. [not just correct for Japanese, but other languages].

  I just remembered, there’s also neko for feminine gay men. Not very polite!

  Maybe, onabe is akin to calling someone a dyke?

  TrinityBringer23

  theghostofdenzo:

  Let’s not restart this argument…

  I had no idea this was an argument! I’m outta here!

  9 Likes

  theghostofdenzo24

  Not saying it was. Just that the last time we had a discussion about 外人 and 外国人 we made it into the master list of arguments thread

  10 Likes

  ekg25

  I just remembered from the manga Saezuru Tori wa Habatakanai [with its yakuza themes]: deka is slang for policeman.

  (I don’t know what the actual English equivalent is though.)

  1 Lik

  Okama. Gay Dictionary (Japan).

  Gay Slang Collection

  The essence of Okama.

  Okama is the most widely used derogatory pos in Japan to refer to a homosexual man, along with English expressions such as fag and faggot. However, as has happened with some insults worldwide, the apply of Okama has normalized acquiring a neutral sense. Dense inside, everything is a matter of context and intention.

  Okama Drawing & Story looks great printed on a poster and also on a t-shirt. Free for light and dark background.

  The start of Okama

  We create the origin of the expression Okama in the pos Kama, a phrase that arises in the Heian period (794-1192), which refers to the utensil to cook rice and whose English translation is a cauldron, pot, etc. The incorporation of the letter O occurs in several dialects of Japanese, Samo, Onwara, Hagagun, and Kamitogagun, giving it the sense of the vagina. For other dialect variants, the Shizuoka and the Kumamoto, is synonymous with the hole, and in the Ashikaga dialect, it acquires the sense of dark, hidden, or secret. Everything was getting ready (vagina, hole, dark, secret) until reaching the Edo era (1603 – 1867), when the voice Okama