How “ Queer slang” is ruling the internet without anyone realising: From ballroom culture to Gen Z vocabulary

Scroll through Instagram Reels, X(formerly Twitter) accounts, TikTok comments, or even meme pages, and you will find comments like:

“She slayed that look.”
“He’s serving attitude.”
“Yass, that’s iconic.”
“Mother is mothering.”
“It’s giving villain energy.”
“She ate and left no crumbs.”
“That outfit is serving.”


For Gen Z, these phrases come in handy and have become part of everyday conversation online. To youngsters, these words feel like a natural part of internet vocabulary. But what most people do not realise is that this slang was not created by Gen Z. Instead, its roots trace back to LGBTQ+ communities, especially Black and Latino ballroom culture, drag scenes, and queer spaces that created entire forms of expression long before mainstream culture embraced them. Later, Gen Z popularised these terms across social media.

Many slang terms now used casually by Gen Z actually originated from underground ballroom scenes in cities like New York City during the 1970s and 1980s. These spaces were safe havens for LGBTQ+ communities, especially Black and Latino LGBTQ+ communities, who faced discrimination from mainstream society.

Ballroom spaces were built by members of the queer community, including drag queens, gay men, and trans women who often faced racism, homophobia, poverty, and rejection from mainstream society. Ballroom culture wasn’t just a gathering for the queer community; instead, people competed in fashion and performance categories while radiating confidence and self-expression. Language became an integral part of identity, humour, survival, and status. That’s how certain phrases became popularised.


Terms like “serving,” “reading,” “shade,” “voguing,” and “mother” carried specific meanings within these communities. Documentaries like “Paris Is Burning” later introduced elements of ballroom culture to wider audiences, while drag culture and reality shows such as “RuPaul's Drag Race” helped push queer slang further into mainstream entertainment.

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Today, queer slang has evolved into a part of everyday conversation. It has become deeply connected to social media culture and is often seen as cool, humorous, and expressive online.

“Slay” originally celebrated confidence, beauty, or an exceptional performance.
“Serve” came from the phrase “serving a look,” meaning to deliver attitude, style, and presence.
“Mother” became a way to describe iconic figures admired within queer communities.
“Yass” evolved from expressive queer speech and drag culture.
“It’s giving” became shorthand for describing a vibe, energy, or aesthetic.

Gen Z, along with social media, accelerated the popularity of these phrases. More influencers began using these slangs online, which heavily influenced users. Queer slangs are now widely used across social media platforms, from Instagram reels to meme culture. Many people use these words without even knowing their meaning or origin.


The rise of stan culture also played a major role in popularising these slangs. Fan communities, especially those of Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and Doja Cat, adopted these terms heavily, turning them into meme language shared across platforms.

At the same time, queer artists and creators started gaining mainstream recognition and became major internet personalities. Their humour, personality, and expressions were celebrated worldwide. Eventually, terms that were once niche and community-specific became internet sensations.

Gen Z is known for being curious, open-minded, and highly accepting of change. They adopted these slangs because they are expressive, humorous, dramatic, and perfectly suited for internet culture. Queer slangs like “slay,” “serve,” “mother,” and “it’s giving” helped people express emotions, compliments, reactions, and aesthetics more creatively and entertainingly.

Social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X, along with influencers, drag artists, fandoms, and stan culture, played a major role in making these phrases mainstream. Gen Z resonates with these slangs because they reflect individuality, self-expression, humour, and online identity. Eventually, queer slang turned into a part of the digital vocabulary used worldwide.


Read More: How “ Queer slang” is ruling the internet without anyone realising: From ballroom culture to Gen Z vocabulary

As Pride Month arrives, conversations around queer influence on pop culture are once again becoming relevant, especially when so much of today’s internet slang carries queer history within it.