What ear is the gay ear

You know….

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 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, 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. It is, however, a uniquely American conundrum. Lyst, a company that tracks online shoppers' behavior, claims searches for men's earrings are up by percent since last year see: Lil Nas X, Jared Leto, Harry Styles, Bad Bunny. No longer is it that big of a deal that a cisgender, occasionally heterosexual man wears jewelry — not even those flashy beaded bracelets.

But the question is, why did gay men decide to pierce their ears? This was in mid-America near St.

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.

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.

What ear is the gay ear

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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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. Others others. Undergear, too. So, what is to be made — in — of being told what to wear where? We're Hiring! Don't forget to share:. Latest on Queerty. Over time, whatever meaning remained seemed to matter less and less as piercings became more popular. It was common to be physically attacked if it were found out that you were anything but straight. Piercings were more about punk rock and youthful rebellion then an underground symbol for sexuality. The gay ear was a nice subtle way to signal to other men that you were looking for men. 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. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website.

Classes can only go so far in teaching real-world vocabulary, however. Throughout my immersion in the Deaf community, I feel like I have been collecting these signs and developing my own personal understanding of what they represent.

Now You Know. A very interesting article on ear piercing to say the least. A article in The New York Times perpetuating the stereotype seemed to solidify the historical hearsay as the widely known style taboo many can't quit today. When many of my gay friends began having their ears pierced in the 70s and 80s it was purely a fashion choice, and the notion that one side or the other sent a signal seemed largely a myth. In fact now, you can just hop on dating apps and find other men who are looking for men in your vicinity. 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. 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. 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, Coleman and Theo Sandfort discuss the fact that straight Russian men would often mark their first sexual act with women by piercing their right ear as a way to ward off unwanted advances from gay men. It was common to be physically attacked if it were found out that you were anything but straight. He rocks the "gay earring" on the regular — and on purpose, a signature style cue he refers to as his "gag du jour" on Instagram — rarely opting for a subtle hint of gold but a more-is-more approach. Lyst, a company that tracks online shoppers' behavior, claims searches for men's earrings are up by percent since last year see: Lil Nas X, Jared Leto, Harry Styles, Bad Bunny. We must remember this was a time when discretion was life or death. Search for:.