Good Judy

Good Judy is affectionate queer slang for a true, loyal friend, someone who shows up with love and support and feels like chosen family. A "judy" is a close friend in gay vernacular, and a "good judy" is one of the best. The term references Hollywood icon Judy Garland, a devoted friend to gay men when few public figures were, and it functions as a mid-century cousin to the coded phrase "friend of Dorothy," itself a nod to Garland's role in The Wizard of Oz. Now used warmly across the community, it can describe anyone who earns that trust regardless of their own identity. The phrase has also lent its name to LGBTQ+ bars and shops.