What is meant by Friends of Dorothy you understand this has something to do with Judy Garland but why this handle for gays?

Answer 1

"Friend of Dorothy" does not, most likely, refer to the character Dorothy (Judy Garland) from 1939 movie Wizard of Oz; this association is questionable and can be presumed more 'popular' simply because the movie remains popular. It is much more likely that it's in reference to Dorothy Parker, a writer of some fame in the 20's through to the 60's.

Mrs Parker was rather famed for her non-traditional viewpoints and as a left-leaning civil rights activist. She would hold evenings for guests at her home or at restaurants which included varied artists and celebrities. Many of these would be known gay people, ergo, if one were a "Friend of Dorothy's" one might well be gay. Obviously her bohemian circle of friends included many people of all sexual orientations but this is where the phrase came from.

More info on Dorothy Parker can be found via the link below.

There is also a 1994 film "Mrs Parker and the Vicious Circle", a fictionalized account of the writer's life.