Artist-initiated project: Queers’ Vernacular (Slanguage) by Paige Gratland

Queers’ Vernacular (Slanguage) brings together 2S/LGBTQIA+ artists and members of gender and sexuality support groups to explore how language reflects identity, memory, and belonging.

The title of the project was inspired by The Queens’ Vernacular: A Gay Lexicon, Bruce Rodgers’ groundbreaking 1972 compilation of over 12,000 entries of pre-Stonewall slang. Queers’ Vernacular (Slanguage) continues Rodgers’ documentary impulse in this contemporary moment, engaging with community members 50+ years post-Stonewall.

In 2020, 2022, and 2023, a series of facilitated sessions were held with community partners including Rainbow Refugee, Rainbow Roundtable, and grunt gallery. These sessions invited participants to document and share slang, expressions, and personal stories rooted in their lived experiences.

The project resulted in a community-sourced publication that is multilingual and intergenerational, with contributions from participants aged 18 to 81. Entries span 15 languages, reflecting the cultural diversity of those involved.

Conceived as both a site of cultural exchange and a collaborative act of archiving, the work highlights the ways language evolves across generations and diasporas, while preserving forms of ephemeral expression.

The final artwork takes the form of a pocket-sized book that reimagines a translation dictionary for travel.

Its non-linear structure presents a collection of linguistic and emotional fragments, documenting shifting verbal and visual signifiers across communities and time. In addition to the printed content, the book includes a hidden layer of handwritten words, marks, and drawings that reveal themselves under sunlight and blacklight.

This layered approach reflects the visible and invisible dimensions of language, what is shared publicly, and what is held more privately within community.

Paige Gratland is a visual artist and filmmaker who produces projects and objects that engage with social history, design, and craft practices.

She is one-third of the artist group Three Way Mirror, alongside Daniel Barrow and Glenn Gear.

"Language -like everything in this world- evolves. Yet, some words are better kept than forgotten. Our queer terminology acts both as means of communication as well as a safe harbour for us to identify with one another, and find solace in the words we hear and the community we build. 

For me as a Syrian-Canadian, many of my queer references are disappearing on me, as diaspora disconnected me from my community at large back home. If we don't use these references, we lose these references, and I truly don't want to lose these connective words. 

This is why a project like this is truly meaningful. It gathers our communities in the shared space of words, but also allows us to flourish in the uniqueness brought forward by our heritage, culture, and age. This project is keeping our songs alive, and for that we are all thankful." 

— Danny Ramadan, visiting artist and participant

“The opportunity to participate in the Queers' Vernacular Session at Rainbow Refugee was special. The last time I could join in one of these events was before the COVID pandemic. Therefore, it was great to be reminded of the power that we have in the queer community when we come together to uplift and learn from each other. 

Rainbow Refugee members were very engaged in the stories that Phranc, Danny, and Elias shared. Also, it was great to see how members shared queer slangs from their own cultures and languages. This has been the biggest social drop-in we have had at Rainbow Refugee! I am grateful to Paige, VPA, and the queer artists who participated in this event. Thank you for helping us foster a sense of belonging within our membership.”

— Jorge Andrade, community engagement and belonging coordinator, Rainbow Refugee