What ear is the gay ear

These days, seldom does a trend stick around for longer than a few weeks before a neologism replaces the one before it, permeating the halls of TikTok or Instagram and causing all of us to second-guess what was once considered mainstream — only to then swap a coveted wardrobe staple for the latest passing fad. Still, what ear is the gay ear, certain exceptions prevail. Even today, one of the most unshakeable cultural signifiers has been the "mono" piercing — more precisely, and befuddling, on which ear it's placed and what it says about your sexuality.

If you are wondering which side is the gay piercing left or right, then, to make a long story short, getting pierced in your right ear meant you were gay. There is a rich history of jewelry being used to show off wealth, nobility, or status. In the 20th century, it was used to show off sexual preference. A man would wear a single earring in his right ear to say he was a gay man. Join us in unpacking this old gay stereotype and ask the question: do we still need it? Since ancient times, people have been getting body piercings to show status or caste.

What ear is the gay ear

You know…. Despite changing times and modern progress, many people still associate body piercings particularly a single piercing in the earlobe as a symbol of someones sexuality. So, just in time for pride month, the team here at Amato decided to delve deeper into where this all started. This is a time where there were no legal or social protections for people who were apart of these communities. Many people lived in fear of losing their jobs, homes, families, and even their lives. It was common to be physically attacked if it were found out that you were anything but straight. This need for secrecy led to some creative ways to live a lifestyle that was typically frowned upon. People in these communities would gather together in secret bars, or meet up around trails in local parks after dark, they even used certain forms of code which varied from location to location to subtly tell people they were gay. This phrase spread across the U. It was only worn by rock stars and tattoo artists. The transition into being more mainstream, was around the time that people were daring to get second and third earlobe piercings. A particularly rebellious person might even pierce their cartilage! With this slow introduction of piercing into the public eye, it was quickly cemented into many minds that the singular piercing in the right lobe on a man was synonymous with being gay.

And he prefers it that way.

We accepted it as gospel and never questioned its validity. But as I grew up, it seemed like everyone I met, no matter their place of origin, knew and understood the earring code, as arbitrary as it seems. Historically speaking, the truth is more complex. Earrings on guys have signified many things over the years, such as social stature or religious affiliation. In his book The Naked Man: A Study of the Male Body , Desmond Morris explains that earrings have indicated wisdom and compassion in the stretched earlobes of the Buddha, while pirates wore them in the belief it would protect them from drowning. In the Elizabethan era, earrings were quite fashionable for men, he writes.

Culture is a funny old thing. Gay men and women had to come up with ways to signal to each other so that they could form communities and relationships without being harassed. However, whether or not this was ever actually widely used in the global queer community is disputed, and nowadays the notion of it has its own horrible homophobic dog whistle attached. Read on to find out. The practice of having a gay ear is said to have come about in the sixties and seventies, and propagated further in the eighties with the AIDS crisis and inhumane policies pushed by Conservatives in both the U. Prior to that, piercings had seen a slight drop in popularity, having been ubiquitous among the wealthier in many societies across the globe before then. From the piece:. Gay men followed, often wearing a single piece of jewelry in the right ear to indicate sexual preference. But in the last few years, so many heterosexual men have begun wearing earrings — often in both ears — that the placement no longer suggests anything about sexual preference. While it was interesting to see coverage of this in a so-called paper of record, the increased attention to the signal meant that a wealth of homophobic abuse would soon be tacked onto the practice.

What ear is the gay ear

Pride is always something to shout about. Picnics, parades and festivals will take place throughout June and over the summer months, a colour explosion of progressive pride flags and fashion marking the occasion. In the s I wore a ring depicting a buckle, suggesting our love was fastened by choice, not law. In the s my lover and I have no need for rings: our half century together says it all. Pin badges showing the pink triangle or the purple lambda symbol officially recognised at the International Gay Rights Congress in Edinburgh in as the symbol for Gay Liberation could be found on jacket lapels, bags and caps. The colour, position and pattern of the bandana acted as an unspoken declaration of sexual interest and role, particularly amongst gay men although a lesbian version existed too and those who undertook the practice of cruising. The original flag, designed by Gay Rights activist Gilbert Baker in for San Francisco Pride, had eight stripes of colour and was based on elements of the American flag and the rainbow, as well as bringing in a reference to the pop-art movement. This flag came to represent the community throughout the eighties, nineties and early noughties, appearing on bracelets, earrings, t-shirts, watches and caps, as well as a whole range of different ephemera. In , at the start of the Covid pandemic, a campaign started in Italy and spread throughout much of the world which saw the rainbow used as an image of thanks and appreciation to healthcare workers. Would a lesbian couple be accepted and safe checking into a hotel displaying a rainbow, or did it mean something else?

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Undergear, too. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. The sailor with earrings in both ears, had sailed around the world, was rarely in one port long, and probably had a lot of quick sex with men because with women, required courting, time and other formalities. Weight Loss. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. It came from sailors who sailed halfway or totally around the world. When I see someone who is pierced and I find it sexy or threatening, or it's an obvious part of a more distinct and total look, I get it. There is a rich history of jewelry being used to show off wealth, nobility, or status. Necessary Necessary. I good call. But these days they can just be themselves without as much fear of retribution. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies.

Today, 3, years later, the fashion has been revived. Discreet studs twinkle at the earlobes of stockbrokers and stock clerks alike; outlandish ornaments dangle below the ears of art directors and electricians.

A lot of people don't know why they're dressed the way they are. Eyebrows , noses, tongues, nipples , and belly buttons would soon become even louder ways to make a statement. Subscribe to our newsletter to indulge in daily entertainment news, cultural trends, and visual delights. And in the 20th century, people got confused about which ear meant what: In the Western world, earrings, so long a purely female adornment, have recently been seen on increasing numbers of male ears. Over time, whatever meaning remained seemed to matter less and less as piercings became more popular. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Bottom line being, get whatever piercing on whichever side your heart desires! In the end the male earring lost its sexual significance altogether, and simply became a generalized way of annoying middle-aged, latter-day puritans. So, just in time for pride month, the team here at Amato decided to delve deeper into where this all started. Close Privacy Overview This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Still, certain exceptions prevail. Today at am.