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In gay slang, a beard is a companion of the opposite sex used to hide a homosexual's sexuality by appearing in public as if the two were a heterosexual couple. The term originated in the mid-1960s^{[citation needed]} and is derived from the notion that a man with a woman on his arm looks more masculine, like a man with a beard. A male companion who accompanies a lesbian is sometimes called a merkin. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Gay slang or LGBT slang in linguistics refers to a form of English slang used predominantly among LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people. ... Look up companion in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The word masculine can refer to: the property of being biologically male masculinity, a traditionally male gender role the masculine grammatical gender This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A mock merkin used at Burning Man A merkin (first use, according to the OED, 1617) is a pubic wig, originally worn by prostitutes after shaving their genitalia to eliminate lice or to disguise the marks of syphilis. ...

In the early years of the gay rights movement, some homophile organizations required members to bring beards with them to meetings, for protection in case the police raided the meeting.^{[citation needed]}Closeted gay men and lesbians may also take part in this kind of relationship to their mutual advantage. In the past many gay men and lesbians married in order to fit in with heterosexual society; this practice continues today, but less frequently in many countries (particularly in the developed world) where the society has become more accepting of "out" gay men and lesbians. The gay rights movement is a collection of loosely aligned civil rights groups, human rights groups, support groups and political activists seeking acceptance, tolerance and equality for non-heterosexual, (homosexual, bisexual), and transgender people - despite the fact that it is typically referred to as the gay rights movement, members also... Cover of French homophile literary journal Arcadie, 1975 The word homophile is an alternative to the word homosexual, preferred by some because it emphasizes love (-phile from Greek φιλία) over sex. ... This article is about sexual orientation. ... World map indicating Human Development Index (as of 2004). ...

In the 1920s this type of union was sometimes referred to as a lavender marriage. Lavender marriage is a term coined to describe a marriage between a man and a woman in which one, or both, parties are homosexual. ...

This term should not be confused with fag hag. Fag hag is a slang term for a woman who associates mostly or exclusively with gay men. ...

In Woody Allen's film "Broadway Danny Rose", Allen's character insists he is only "the beard" and not a boyfriend when confronted by gangsters while he escorts Tina (played by Mia Farrow). Woody Allen (born Allen Stewart Königsberg on December 1, 1935) is a three-time Academy Award-winning American film director, writer, actor, jazz musician, comedian, and playwright. ... Broadway Danny Rose is a 1984 film written, directed by and starring Woody Allen. ... Mia Farrow (born Maria de Lourdes Villiers-Farrow on February 9, 1945) is an American actress. ...

The television show Seinfeld brought this term into mainstream awareness by titling an episode "The Beard" in which Elaine Benes helps a homosexual friend hide his orientation and eventually tries to convert him. Seinfeld is an Emmy Award-winning American sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989 to May 14, 1998, running a total of 9 seasons. ... The Beard is an episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. ... Elaine Marie Benes is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld (1989–1998), played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. ... Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ...

In November 2007, a special seven-minute Doctor Who scene, 'Time Crash,' was aired for the BBC's Children in Need appeal, in which the Tenth Doctor jokingly implies that the Master's wife, as seen in 'Last of the Time Lords', was a beard. This article is about the television series. ... Time Crash is a mini-episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ... New BBC Children in Need Pudsey and logo from 2007 BBC Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £576million. ... The Tenth Doctor is the name given to the tenth and current incarnation of the fictional character known as the Doctor seen on screen in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. ... The Master may refer to: Fictional works entitled The Master include: The Master (novel), a novel by Colm Tóibín. ... Last of the Time Lords is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ...