What side is gay for earrings

Men with both earrings are now widely accepted in every society, and choosing earrings that are highly compatible with your personality is encouraged. However, there are still some considerations to keep in mind when it comes to men wearing earrings.

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. Adornments like facial piercings and other jewelry were common.

What side is gay for earrings

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. In the Western world, earrings, so long a purely female adornment, have recently been seen on increasing numbers of male ears. At first it was assumed that the wearers were all effeminate homosexuals, but it soon became clear the the habit was spreading to the more avant-garde of the young heterosexuals. This led to some confusion and stories began to circulate that there was a secret code, that to wear an earring in a pierced left ear was homosexual, and in a pierced right ear was rebel heterosexual. The problem was that nobody could remember which was supposed to be which. In the end the male earring lost its sexual significance altogether, and simply became a generalized way of annoying middle-aged, latter-day puritans. Another guy got two piercings in his right ear in college, to which we all remarked that that he wanted everyone to know that he was a power bottom — which he is. A man in the U. If it were in my right ear, that would mean I was gay.

Because, as the studies show, it won't matter to a new youth who harnesses their power in being different anyway. More Stories from MEL.

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, 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. Pre-Y2K and beyond , it's been socially understood that wearing one earring on the right ear means someone is gay; the left, straight. Despite recent data and celebrities supporting otherwise, the demagogic proverb "Left is right and right is wrong" has been a whisper placed upon gay and straight men and their piercers for decades. No one really seems to know where the adage originated. Or which side means what.

Sorry, the content of this store can't be seen by a younger audience. Come back when you're older. Have you ever heard the term "gay ear"? When people talked about the gay ear, they referred to a specific ear being pierced on a man. This trend didn't include women in the gay ear fad because, in most Western cultures since the s, it has generally been a cultural norm for females to have their ears pierced. Keep in mind that this performative measure was originally used to discriminate against men based on their perceived social class, not sexuality. Initially, the only men who had pierced ears were usually sailors. But it wasn't until the late s that people attributed a man who had his ear pierced to being gay. Now, men have pierced ears for endless reasons. With piercings no longer serving as any sort of identifier to occupation or sexual orientation, pierced ears are relatively common among all genders.

What side is gay for earrings

Sometimes we feel misunderstood, and sometimes we misjudge others. As a result, we might long for a way of putting symbols or signals out there so people can get a sense of who we are at a glance. Yet, one can see the down side of that too.

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Read more on www. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Considering this, is it okay for men to wear an earring in both ears? Today's isms, like no-makeup makeup and tantouring, don't force us to relive the best of the worst; rather, they remind us that the journey of defining a "personal" style is as finite as doing the dishes: you're never really done. Nowadays, the original phrase is no longer as prevalent but it still might come up from time to time with boys getting a piercing in the right ear. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". By the 90s many were getting both ears pierced and the subject hardly ever came up. The slow-burn comeback of the awkward noughties frosted everything , indie sleaze, and party girls ahem , white eyeliner are no longer nostalgic, cringeworthy memories but legitimate demi-decades when our appearance was still an act of subversion. Today at pm. A lot of people don't know why they're dressed the way they are. It is important to assess the dress code and cultural norms of a workplace before deciding to wear earrings. There is good news. The internet has made finding our tribes a lot easier.

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.

I actually think we need to bring back some sort of similar indicator cause I just really need to know who else in a room is on the spectrum — yusuke juanvenchy July 9, So what side is the gay side the right side or the left? You May Also Like. It's a hot take on a generation who don't really need an ear piercing to talk for them, who weren't similarly reared on fashion as a conduit to freedom. Casting director and industry stalwart James Scully remembers his first encounter with the phenomenon, in the late '70s. At first it was assumed that the wearers were all effeminate homosexuals, but it soon became clear the the habit was spreading to the more avant-garde of the young heterosexuals. Historically speaking, the truth is more complex. In fact, there was a time when men wore only one earring on either the left or the right side. In fact, most royals were adorned in as many gems and as much gold as women — if not more, depending on the occasion — making the sight of guys wearing pearls today, for instance, more a reflection of where we've come from than where we're headed. However, it is important to consider the individual style of the man when selecting earrings. The phrase is widely known in the US. It is important to consider the healing process and give your piercings the proper care they need. It came from sailors who sailed halfway or totally around the world. LGBTQ life was still underground in secret bars and clandestine meetings in local parks in the s when piercings started to come back into style.