Gay ear pierced

We accepted it as gospel and never questioned its validity.

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.

Gay ear pierced

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. Through the centuries, the popularity of ear piercing has come in waves. Egyptian mummies have pierced ears. In the s in Europe, it was common to see a wealthy man dripping with jewelry and it was fashionable for them to wear a single pearl earring hanging from one ear. Ear piercings fell out of favor in the s in the USA. From the s to the s facial piercings were uncommon, gay ears or not.

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When the pandemic sent me off campus, I returned to my childhood bedroom full of existential questions about my identity. Nine months later when I came back to campus, I had seven piercings. While home, I considered how I performed for others and how I truly wanted to present. I love to over-accessorize, and piercings allowed me to adorn myself in more ways. As a Depop seller might put it, my ears were an old pair of Y2K jeans just waiting to be bedazzled. Piercings were also a way for me to rebel against the gender binary and heteropatriarchal norms that harshly dictate gender performance and expression. Some people's love language is touch, while others prefer words of affirmation or acts of service.

Last Updated: September 20, Fact Checked. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 28, times. While a left ear piercing is usually regarded as a symbol of spirituality, cultural identity, and self-expression, some people believe it reveals information about your personality and sexual preferences, too.

Gay ear pierced

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.

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A man would wear a single earring in his right ear to say he was a gay man. Junior Freedom Gobel had a similar experience to both Maia and me. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Undergear, too. It was only worn by rock stars and tattoo artists. It was once even more vogue, and still is, to have multiple piercings in one ear. No longer is it that big of a deal that a cisgender, occasionally heterosexual man wears jewelry — not even those flashy beaded bracelets. Salem now boasts five ear piercings in total. Pre-Y2K and beyond , it's been socially understood that wearing one earring on the right ear means someone is gay; the left, straight. She says her favorite is her helix piercing because she got it during the winter of her freshman year when she was just beginning to understand her queer identity. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Yet further findings, like the fact that "mono earring" queries are popular, suggest many are curious about different types of piercings , specifically embellishing one ear only — proof that a single earring, and which lobe it lives on , can say everything or nothing at all.

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.

While there were out gay people around this time, it was a lot less common and acceptable as it is now. Over time, whatever meaning remained seemed to matter less and less as piercings became more popular. It was right around then I started to get International Male catalogs unsolicited. Once Monthly Annually. Talk about a full circle moment, I totally told him yes. In the s in Europe, it was common to see a wealthy man dripping with jewelry and it was fashionable for them to wear a single pearl earring hanging from one ear. However, as contemporary Western society began to develop, piercings fell out of fashion for men. We accepted it as gospel and never questioned its validity. A man would wear a single earring in his right ear to say he was a gay man. For so long, piercings also have been that. Advertisement advertisement. By the 90s, It had become so widely accepted as a secret code that there was an article about it in the New York Times. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. There is a rich history of jewelry being used to show off wealth, nobility, or status. And he prefers it that way.