Friend of Dorothy: Queer Code with a Legacy
Before rainbow flags and Instagram bios, queer people had secret ways of saying, “I’m one of you.” One of the most iconic?
I’m a friend of Dorothy.
A coded phrase with a powerful purpose
In the 1940s and 50s, being LGBTQIA+ wasn’t just frowned upon, it was criminalized, pathologized and erased. But queer people have always found ways to find each other.
Calling yourself a “Friend of Dorothy” became one of those quiet signals. A way to connect. A way to be seen without putting yourself at risk.
This phrase wasn’t a joke. It was a lifeline. Used in military barracks, small-town diners, and underground bars, it let people know you were safe, and that they were too.
Why Dorothy? Why The Wizard of Oz?
To understand why this phrase matters, you have to understand what Dorothy represented.
In The Wizard of Oz (1939), Dorothy Gale is a girl who leaves a gray, repressive world and steps into a vibrant, chaotic, otherworldly place, where chosen family, color, and difference are celebrated. That journey resonated deeply with queer people who also felt out of place in the world they were born into.
Her iconic line, “There’s no place like home,” became layered with meaning. For many LGBTQIA+ people, “home” wasn’t where they were from, it was where they felt free to be themselves.
And then there was Judy Garland.
Judy wasn’t just Dorothy. She was fragile and fierce, rejected and adored. Her voice, her pain, and her resilience made her a queer icon, long before that term existed. Some even say that the Stonewall Uprising was triggered just days after her death in June 1969, though the reality is more complex.
📎 Read: Stonewall Inn and the Beginning of LGBTQ+ Pride
Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939), the origin of the iconic “Friend of Dorothy” code.
Image via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.
It was more than slang. It was a mirror.
Calling yourself a Friend of Dorothy was about more than hiding.
It was about claiming space in a world that didn’t leave much room.
It said:
I’m different.
I’m here.
I’m like you.
Today we wear that identity out loud, in pride t-shirts, gender-neutral fits, and queer streetwear. But back then, it took a phrase. That was enough.
📎 Read: Pride Doesn’t End in June
Queer fashion has always been coded
From secret phrases to handkerchief codes, and now to bold tees, queer identity always finds a way to speak. Even when the world doesn’t want to listen.
At Miltti, we design clothes for those who understand that. Whether you’re soft, loud, flamboyant or subtle, this is for you.
Because we’re all still walking our own yellow brick road.
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Written by the Miltti Team | July 2025