''Beard'' is an American

slang Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-gro ...

term describing a person who is used, knowingly or unknowingly, as a

date Date or dates may refer to: *Date (fruit), the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'') Social activity *Dating, a form of courtship involving social activity, with the aim of assessing a potential partner **Group dating *Play date, an ...

, romantic partner (boyfriend or girlfriend), or

spouse A spouse is a significant other in a marriage. In certain contexts, it can also apply to a civil union or common-law marriage. Although a spouse is a form of significant other, the latter term also includes non-marital partners who play a social ...

either to conceal

infidelity Infidelity (synonyms include cheating, straying, adultery, being unfaithful, two-timing, or having an affair) is a violation of a couple's emotional and/or sexual exclusivity that commonly results in feelings of anger, sexual jealousy, and riva ...

or to conceal one's

sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. These attractions are generall ...

. The term also refers, in some areas, to anyone who acted on behalf of another, in any transaction, to conceal a person's true identity. The term can be used in

heterosexual Heterosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction or sexual behavior between people of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to ...

and

non-heterosexual Non-heterosexual is a word for a sexual orientation or sexual identity that is not heterosexual. The term helps define the "concept of what is the norm and how a particular group is different from that norm". ''Non-heterosexual'' is used in femi ...

contexts but is especially used within LGBTQ+ culture. References to beards are seen in mainstream television and films, and other entertainment.

History

The usage of the term ''beard'', also known as ''lavender dating'' or ''front dating'', dates to the 20th century, prior to the gay rights movements. This was at a time when homosexual relationships had not yet gained public acceptance in the Western world. Often, in the early to mid-20th century, a beard companion was used by homosexual individuals to conceal one’s sexual orientation through the disguise of a heterosexual relationship. This relationship typically was between a lesbian and a gay man in an attempt to dispel rumors of homo-orientation. In some situations, such as that of

Vita Sackville-West Victoria Mary, Lady Nicolson, CH (née Sackville-West; 9 March 1892 – 2 June 1962), usually known as Vita Sackville-West, was an English author and garden designer. Sackville-West was a successful novelist, poet and journalist, as wel ...

and Harold Nicholson, the pair in the beard relationship may have children together despite a lack of sexual attraction. Today, the term beard or lavender dating is used less as a result of greater acceptance of homosexuality in both the United States and Western Europe, but is still occasionally used today used by young individuals from traditional communities or conservative countries.

Concealing infidelity

In early usage of the term, a beard scenario involved concealing

in a

monogamous relationship Monogamy ( ) is a form of dyadic relationship in which an individual has only one partner during their lifetime. Alternately, only one partner at any one time (serial monogamy) — as compared to the various forms of non-monogamy (e.g., polyga ...

. In a typical scenario, X and Y are in a supposedly exclusive relationship, but X is actually cheating with Z. However, to prevent Y from learning about X's infidelity, W, the "beard", pretends to be paired with Z. Such a scenario is a central premise of

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

's 1984 film ''

Broadway Danny Rose ''Broadway Danny Rose'' is a 1984 American black-and-white comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen. It follows a hapless theatrical agent who, by helping a client, gets dragged into a love triangle involving the mob. The film stars Allen a ...

''. The titular talent agent is the beard, pretending to date Tina, a single woman who is actually having an affair with married singer Lou Canova, Danny's client. By posing as Tina's date, Danny can bring her to Lou's performance without drawing attention from Lou's suspicious wife. The term "beard" is a

running gag A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are not ...

, used four times (''e.g.'', "I'm only the beard") when Tina's ex assumes Danny is Tina's previously mysterious lover.

Concealing sexual orientation

Recognized usage of ''beard'' applies to a person who serves to camouflage another's

. An example is the woman that a gay man pretends to date in an effort to conceal his sexuality. Though ''beard'' entered wider use in the 1960s, many of the reported

lavender marriage A lavender marriage is a male–female mixed-orientation marriage, undertaken as a marriage of convenience to conceal the socially stigmatised sexual orientation of one or both partners. The term dates from the early 20th century and is used alm ...

s of the 1920s in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

, and the similar reported romantic marriage of

Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular movie stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades. A prominent heartthrob in the Golde ...

(mid-1950s) employed the same usage. In Hudson's case,

Phyllis Gates Phyllis Lucille Gates (December 7, 1925 – January 4, 2006) was an American secretary and interior decorator, known for her three-year marriage to the actor Rock Hudson. The story of their marriage was depicted in the TV film ''Rock Hudson ...

acted as his beard to avert the damage that the disclosure of Hudson's homosexuality might have caused to his career. In a 2011 interview,

Betty White Betty Marion White (January 17, 1922December 31, 2021) was an American actress and comedian. A pioneer of early television, with a television career spanning almost seven decades, White was noted for her vast work in the entertainment indust ...

stated that she often served as a beard to

Liberace Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer, and actor. A child prodigy born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin, he enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordi ...

to counter rumors of his homosexuality. Such relationships can cause legal and emotional issues for both parties, particularly when they end.

References

{{Sexual slang Interpersonal relationships LGBT slang

History

Concealing infidelity

Concealing sexual orientation

See also

References