The Gay Ear

Q: Is the right or left ear piercing the one that means you’re gay? - Alex

A: Few questions get asked more before an earlobe piercing than this one. It continues to be one of the most widely spread myths about piercing, and it is rather easy to dispel through a simple experiment. If concerned, get the piercing on the side you are interested in and see if it changes your most intimate desires.

This, of course, is a joke. Piercing your body and adorning it with jewelry will not change your sexual preference. The short answer is that the “gay side” concept is a thing of the past. So, let’s talk a little bit about the past.
 
The history has origin by members of the gay community signaling their sexual and/or role preference to others. This is/was common with many other adornment codes such as keys and handkerchiefs. Yet as body piercing grew in popularity throughout multiple subcultures over the past 20 years, using the left or right side as a signal, has subsided to merely an homage to the past in certain circles.  People just started piercing what they wanted, wherever they found it most aesthetically pleasing.

There are several piercings and placements that prompt certain assumptions based upon a person’s cultural background. For example; someone from the United States will perceive a left nostril piercing differently than someone from India. A person from Kenya will perceive stretched ear lobe piercings very differently than someone from Canada. In other words, you can’t predict or control how others will interpret your piercing choices, so you might as well focus on what will make you happy.

Piercings are representations of the people wearing them. And since we all think and communicate differently, we all will interpret piercings differently, and you can’t please everyone.

There is no right or wrong when it comes to what piercing or which side you prefer. At the end of the day, you are the person who needs to be happy with your choice. Adorning yourself by partaking in the ritual of piercing offers you the ability to show off who you are, but it doesn’t change who you are.
So, go ahead, show off!

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