Glossary
Slay
Slay is a term of praise meaning to do something with outstanding skill, style, and confidence, rooted in Black and Latino LGBTQ+ ballroom culture.
Slay means to perform, present, or pull something off so impressively that you are metaphorically killing it. As slang it grew out of Black and Latino LGBTQ+ ballroom culture in 1970s and 1980s New York, where drag queens and vogue competitors used it to praise a flawless look, walk, or attitude. The 1991 documentary Paris Is Burning helped bring ballroom language into wider view, and RuPaul's Drag Race and Beyoncé's 2016 song Formation pushed slay fully into the mainstream. Today it is everyday praise across social media and pop culture. Because it comes from queer and trans people of color, many suggest using it with awareness of that history.
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