Chicken can be used, usually by gay men referring to other gay men, to mean a young gay man or young appearing gay man. Stereotypically describing a gay man barely out of adolescence who does not show much of any body hair or well-defined muscle-development. Most would consider a young man of barely-legal age or appearing to be very young and having an innocent nature.[1]
Author Bruce Rodgers defines the term as "1. any boy under the age of consent, heterosexual, fair of face, and unfamiliar with homosexuality ("So many chickens were flapping around that I thought we were touring Colonel Sanders' plantation”) 2. juvenile, youthful, young-looking.[2] Others have defined it as a young man who engages in sex for money or favors.[3]
Recently, some conservative Americans began defining the term itself as gay pedophile related.[4] In the subculture of the gay community which uses handkerchiefs or bandannas as a code, people who identify as "Chicken" wear a Kewpie doll in their left back pocket. Those who are interested in young men - referred to as chickenhawks - are denoted in the hanky code as wearing one on the right.[5]
The term has existed in the gay vernacular for many decades, and is still used today. David Henry Sterry, a former prostitute turned actor and director, titled his 2005 memoir, Chicken: Self-Portrait of a Young Man for Rent.[6] Author Philip Herbst traces its origin to the 19th century, where it was used to describe the youngest sailors on a ship, who were often used for sexual purposes. [7]
Not that I'll bet.
I bet it's the first thought in Rex's filthy head though.
