Gay ear pierce

Men of all sexual orientations now have pierced ears, and not everyone follows (or knows about) the history of the right ear as the "gay ear." That said, if you're gay, getting a right-ear piercing can be a kind of homage to the history of using a gay earring for signaling. Robbie (Normal) on X (Twitter) captures a contemporary view by asserting, “either ear is the gay ear if you're gay.” It’s significant because it emphasizes how ear piercings related to sexual orientation are outdated and irrelevant–a sign that societal norms are shifting away from traditional views.

Our gay ancestors came up with coded signals to tell others that you’re safe, supportive, or maybe even DTF, depending on the context. A notable example is the “gay ear.” The suggestion is that if a man had a specific ear pierced, it would indicate his sexual orientation. Whether you’re here for clarity, history, or just piercing inspo, this guide has you covered.

Which Ear Is the Gay Ear? In the s and s, the idea of a “gay ear”—more especially, the right ear—was established as a social norm. Which ear is the gay ear? This commonly asked question refers to the belief that piercing a specific ear—usually the right or left—can signal a connection to the LGBTQ+ community. The significance of ear piercings within the LGBTQ+ community is multifaceted, encompassing historical, cultural, and personal identity aspects.

A Decrease font size. A Reset font size. A Increase font size. Piercings have been popular in queer cultures for longer than I have been alive, and have been an important part of my life for about as long as I have known I am queer. As soon as I started interacting with other queer people in my life more and became a part of the community, I noticed that piercings were very common to see in queer groups and loved them at first sight.

The freedom to express oneself in whatever way makes you feel most comfortable in your own body is something that I heavily appreciate the existence of, and that is what I see piercings doing for people. Gender affirmation is a big reason piercings intertwine with queer culture, which will generally be most noticeable in transgender communities, but can apply to cisgender individuals as well.

For cis women, a pair of nipple piercings or a clitoral hood piercing might make her feel connected to her womanhood, and give her another way to express an appreciation for the body she has. For a transgender person, nipple piercings may give the pierced person a reason to find beauty in the breasts, or lack thereof, that they have, leading to less discomfort and dysphoria around that part of their body.

Another important consideration is that nipple piercings can be a challenge for someone who intends to get top surgery, due to the nipples being removed and reattached during the procedure.

left or right ear piercing meaning guy

For a transgender person, however, the reason for the piercings may get more in depth in terms of functionality. This piercing can alter the function of the penis slightly. As the jewelry goes through the urethra, it can cause troubles with urinating while standing, making the urine leak and drip onto places it was not intended to go. This may make the pierced person sit down to urinate, so as to avoid the leakage.

This functional need to sit while urinating emulates the traditional way that a woman would be positioned for the same activity, therefore providing gender affirmation. In a similar vein, there is a modern myth that the Prince Albert piercing was named such because Prince Albert himself would use the piercing in ring form to tie down his penis and decrease the bulge in his pants.

This could be a very interesting way for a transgender woman to tuck her penis and give the illusion of a flatter surface with certain clothes. In a similar context, transgender men may seek out paired labia piercings at a larger gauge. Large gauge piercings are piercings that have been done to have a bigger hole, fitting larger diameter and heavier jewelry.

The weight of the jewelry in that area of the body, and the need to adjust it somewhat often, emulates the experience of having testicles to be aware of. I have to be aware of how I place my legs when I sit, of how my underwear hangs, of them getting tangled and pinched and caught. Having such a small inconvenience added to your daily life via a piercing that impacts the function of your genitals may seem pointless, or even odd to want, but it is similar to that of a person born with the genitals that match their concept of self.

When bottom surgery is such an invasive, expensive, and intense procedure to go through, it is not easily accessible to the general public. Regardless of the reason, if bottom surgery is not an active option for a trans person, a piercing is a much more affordable and just generally more accessible way to gain comfort and a reinstated sense of self. This is easily seen in the use of hanky code, in which different colored handkerchiefs in specific pant pockets would symbolize queerness and an interest in specific kinks, during the 80s.

Of course, that was an inherently sexual signaling system, whereas the gay ear existed as a family friendly version. As the code gained popularity and became widespread, however, it ended up being too well known and compromised the safety of those who had it. Though the spread of information was inconsistent, and at some point few could agree on which ear was the gay ear.

With such conflicting yet widespread information, many people with one ear pierced went and got their other ear pierced so as not to seem suspicious and end up being outed as gay to the general public when they are not ready to be, while others were unafraid and donned their single lobe piercing with pride. The queer community also has many ties to the kink community, as seen with the aforementioned hanky code.

Some examples of play piercings are the use of piercings to use for suspension in the air, to lace through a series of hoops like a corset, to enforce chastity, and more. Suspension, in particular, can be described as almost meditative. For some, meditation on its own can be far too understimulating, and adding this extra element of an unchanging sensation to focus on, through the piercings they are hanging from, can help them get into that calm state.