Is the Right Ear the “Gay Ear” for Piercings? Your Questions Answered

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Learn about the meaning & history of the right ear piercing
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These days, having your right ear pierced wouldn’t cause anyone to bat an eye, but it wasn’t always this way. Piercings have been in vogue for thousands of years, bearing specific meanings that reflected status, culture, and religious affiliations. In the 20th century, a piercing in the right ear gained new significance for men, as it signaled ties to the LGBTQ community. Keep reading to learn more about this earring trend and how it has evolved over time.

What does a right ear piercing mean?

Starting in the 1970s, gay men used a right ear piercing to signal that they were gay. Being openly gay was uncommon, and this was a way to discreetly communicate in the LGBTQ+ community. Today, a right ear piercing does not hold any specific meaning.

Section 1 of 5:

What does a right ear piercing say about sexuality?

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  1. Beginning in the 1970s, being openly gay was not as common as it is now, since the topic of gender politics was still in its infancy. The LGBTQ+ movement had just put on its first public display in 1969 and homosexual men were often attacked simply for being themselves. This created a need for gay men to be able to identify one another in public in very subtle ways, not only for the purpose of informing their romantic pursuits but also to allow them to feel safe and build community. [1]
    • For men, wearing an earring on their right ear was a form of signaling, or using a non-verbal cue to convey a particular message to a group.
    • Similar forms of signaling in the LGBTQ+ community included half-tucking a colorful hanky in your back pocket and wearing a pinky ring.
    • Ever-changing fashion trends coupled with the growing acceptance of LGBTQ+ culture have resulted in a modern-day reality where gay people, and men in particular, feel less of a need to hide their identities, causing signaling to go out of style.
    • Other societal factors, such as the rise of apps like Grindr, have facilitated communication within the gay community without the fear of rejection, judgment, or violence.
  2. 2
    A pierced right ear used to indicate a woman's status in the past. Although no specific symbolism pertaining to sexuality was assigned to right ear piercings for women, piercings still historically held power in categorizing women to varying degrees. In ancient Greece and Rome, enslaved women and sex workers were marked by ear piercings. Although aristocratic women did sometimes pierce their ears, they typically wore pearl necklaces or other forms of jewelry to showcase their wealth and status. [2]
    • Piercing trends ebbed and flowed, formally sidelined in the 17th century due to blossoming Christian ideals in Europe and colonized countries.
    • Mademoiselle Polaire was a French-Algerian performer whose love of the oriental aesthetic introduced Western audiences to piercings in the 1920s, inspiring women everywhere to pierce away.
    • Queen Elizabeth II was another notable trendsetter of the pierced ear, who defied the royal status quo of the 1950s when she decided to wear crown jewel earrings on the day of her coronation.
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Section 2 of 5:

What are the cultural & spiritual reasons for a right ear piercing?

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  1. 1
    A rite of passage Across many cultures, ears are pierced to denote the first step toward adulthood. In Zulu culture, for example, piercing one’s ears is a sign that you’re ready to enter the next stage of life. This transition is marked by “qhumbuza” or the ear-piercing ceremony, which every child traditionally participates in. [3]
    • In Ethiopia, the Mursi tribe prides themselves on their elaborate body modification practices, one of which is ear piercing at around the age of 16. [4] These are symbols of maturity, bravery, and beauty.
    • In many Kenyan communities, the ears of both boys and girls were pierced in transition rituals. [5] Young warriors, in particular, wore earrings to display their courage.
    • The Samburu clan pierces the ears of their fighters with ivory to mark their transition into manhood.
    • Some of these communities believed that evil spirits could enter humans via the ears, so earlobes were pierced in an effort to offer the spirits a quick out.
  2. 2
    To unlock health benefits In myriad Asian countries, getting your ears pierced is viewed as an essential health practice. In fact, ear piercing is an ancient Indian Ayurvedic custom, believed to be a sacrament in Hinduism. Piercing the lobe is thought to help with everything from fertility to energy to anxiety, among many other benefits. [6]
    • Some Chinese medicinal practices encouraged ear piercing to improve eyesight and overall health.
    • In India, where nose piercings in particular were a part of ancient Hindu practices, colonists used piercings to drive yet another wedge between classes and races.
  3. 3
    To convey status or social messages Different groups of people assign different meanings to their pierced ears. For example, in Borneo, each parent pierces one earlobe of their child to signal that they’re taken care of. During the Han dynasty in China, earrings and other jewelry were attributed to barbarians, denoting their ill intentions. [7]
    • During medieval times in northern Europe, enslaved men and women both wore ear piercings to denote their status. [8]
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Section 3 of 5:

Which is ear is the “gay ear”?

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  1. The right ear used to be referred to as the “gay ear.” Although having a pierced right ear as a man used to be a way of signaling to the gay community that you were one of them, this idea has slowly faded into the background in light of new inclusive attitudes and a changing sociopolitical climate. In fact, earrings sales have soared by 147% from 2022 to 2023, potentially due to the popularity of artists who play up their androgyny, like Bad Bunny and Lil Nas X. [9]
    • “Left is right and right is wrong” was a popular saying that originated at around the same time as pierced right ears began trending in the gay community. [10]
      • This idiom employed the word “wrong” as a synonym for “gay.” It was used harmfully with homophobic connotations, and it was also used as a way for heterosexual men to remember which ear they should pierce.
    • The idea that the right ear is the “gay ear” is now outdated and considered a damaging stereotype.
Section 4 of 5:

History of the Right Ear Piercing

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  1. Hunters are thought to have worn shaved animal bones in their septums to intimidate predators, a practice which dates back to 44,000 BCE. The earliest proof of a right ear piercing came in the form of a mummy called Ötzi the Iceman, discovered in 1991. Scientists estimate that Ötzi lived about 5,300 years ago. He sported several tattoos and his ears were pierced with 7-11mm gauges. [11]
    • King Tutankhamun also had pierced ears as his mummy had holed earlobes and earrings were found buried in his tomb. [12] Other notable figures who wore earrings include Julius Caesar, Francis Drake, and William Shakespeare.
    • In the 14th century, the Russian ethnic group known as Cossacks wore earrings on their right ears to indicate that a man was the provider of his family and should be spared harsh punishment or labor because others depended on him.
    • In 16th-century Europe, members of the royal court wore jewelry, and earrings included, to affirm their social status.
      • Around this time, sailors wore an earring on one ear to communicate that they had traveled far and wide. If they died at sea, the earring was to inform whoever found them to give them a proper burial.
    • Pierced ears began to fall out of favor in the 18th century. Clip-on earrings took over, especially for women, as they were perceived to be a more feminine option. This trend lasted up until around the 1950s.
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Section 5 of 5:

Final Thoughts

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  1. Humans have been piercing their ears for many millennia. Throughout history, different meanings have been assigned to ear-piercing, sexuality and gender preferences included. From around the 1970s through the late 1990s, getting your right ear pierced as a man was a way of signaling and safely communicating in the gay community.
    • Today, ear piercings are simply considered a reflection of personal style across genders and hold no specific meaning— other than the one you give it.
    • When discussing these sensitive subjects pertaining to sexuality and gender, it’s important to treat them as respectfully as possible to avoid offending the LGBTQ+ community.

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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.thetrevorproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/LGBTQ-History.pdf
      2. ↑ https://www.dazeddigital.com/beauty/article/52074/1/brief-history-piercings-political-controversial-aerosmith-bdsm
      3. ↑ https://southafrica.co.za/zulu-puberty-ceremonies.html
      4. ↑ https://www.bodycandy.com/blogs/news/modification-around-the-world-the-tribes-of-ethiopia
      5. ↑ https://artsandculture.google.com/story/the-importance-of-ear-piercings-in-kenyan-communities-national-museums-of-kenya/-QXBImL1ZPThIg?hl=en
      6. ↑ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/the-science-behind-ear-piercing-and-other-traditional-beliefs/photostory/69924553.cms?picid=69924573
      7. ↑ https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation?paperid=121082
      8. ↑ https://www.sleek-mag.com/article/unpacking-history-behind-the-single-earring-trend-for-men/#:~:text=A+piercing+on+the+right,he+had+mouths+to+feed.&text=While+earrings+made+of+precious,was+a+sign+of+servitude
      9. ↑ https://www.wsj.com/articles/mens-earrings-even-lawyers-accountants-embracing-studs-hoops-11640108583?ref=popsugar.com&=___psv__p_48878871__t_w__r_www.google.de/_
      1. ↑ https://archive.nytimes.com/tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/what-a-stud-the-return-of-mens-earings/
      2. ↑ https://cpp-college.netlify.app/programs/education-blog/piercing
      3. ↑ https://egypt-museum.com/earrings-of-tutankhamun-with-duck-heads/

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