"Queer Ear" Piercing

[roboticemu]

Does the right ear means queer piercing thing still apply? I thought that it only mattered for guys like 5+ years ago.

About three weeks ago, I got my right cartilage pierced. I didn't pierce both sides because I want to get an industrial piercing eventually and I thought it would look stupid if I put rainbow earrings in the "straight" side. Nobody reacted to it being on the "queer" ear except the other day on the foot ferry (the most awesome form of public transit) some lady (looked late 20s) stared at me and had a big long embarassing discussion with some other guy about my earring side, even though my other ear was covered.

Why do people obsess over such things? What ear do the rest of you have pierced? What reactions has it received?

[crazyhead]

I got my left ear pierced when I was a kid but haven't worn it in approximately forever. It was around originally for code when gay people had to stay on the down low. But we don't do that anymore, so it's inaplicable. But since it has been associated with "the gay," it stuck around as something stupid prepubescent boys use to make fun of each-other. Why anyone who's old enough to shave would still stick to that, I guess is because they're dumb. (Not that prepubescent boys aren't dumb.)

[Gerry]

I haven't heard much of this since the 90s or early 2000s. I don't know. I don't make anything of it. A pierced ear is a pierced ear. To me it had no meaning on sexuality.

[Mad Man L]

Not so much the right ear being pierced, but I have seen multiple (straight) guys with their left ear pierced, i.e. they're straight.

It still 'applies' to some degree, it could just be my part of the world.

[Eric]

I remember hearing about this when I was younger, but I don't remember really seeing anyone having their ears pierced to indicate their sexual orientation.

[NeecoVirus]

Ya, you are right, it no longer applies. These days anyone gets either ear pierced.

[Veronica]

A few guys I know with ear piercings only pierce their left ear. But I haven't really heard much of the right ear rule since the 90s. Many guys have both ears pierced anyway.

When I did that about 5 years ago I did get a couple of people asking me if that meant I was gay or bi, mostly drunk people. So no, most people don't care about those things any more. I also have my left helix pierced. I'm planning to have a second one done under the first one. For some reason people tend to fill up the left ear first. So do I it seems. May be because of the old "rule"?

[Rosina]

It's an old rule that I don't think's applicable really any-more, but as others have mentioned, I've only noticed that straight guys will have their left or both lobes pierced, never their right, so to a degree, the rule's still adhered to by guys. Most girls have both their lobes pierced, so in that respect, it's irrelevant for women. I do find myself seeing how many piercings a guy has had done if I notice he's got a lobe done; I only started doing this after I heard about this rule years ago back in the late 90s.

Personally, I got my right cartilage done mainly to combat this old rule - I have my ear lobes pierced too - but no one's said anything about it, so I think it's only really applicable to guys.

[WydenEmmie]

I always look at it a weird way. I don't pay attention to the side that's pierced, but most of the guys I see either have one ear gauged, both ears gauged, or both just pierced. I don't think I've seen anyone with just one ear pierced, unless they had another piercing in a different spot on the other ear. If you know what I mean.

Therefore, if people still use that 'rule', a lot of people shun it.

[Lexington]

I got my right ear pierced in 1991 - I think even then it was my first step at telling the world in as subtle a way as possible. Back then, I think the rule was "right ear gay, left ear straight"...and it was the other way around in the UK. Or London. Or some place. Anyway. As it ended up, nobody seemed to think much of it one way or the other.

I later added an ear clip in the shape of a stick figure that just sort of clung to the top part of the ear. I really liked that thing, and I'd still wear it if I could find one again.

Nowadays? It's just jewelry.

Lex

[Ben]

I'm pretty quick to notice when a guy has an earring in his right ear only. There's a straight guy in one of my classes who wears one only in his right, and I have looked at him a few times and just been a bit confused. Maybe because the right ear rule is still something that applies where I come from. I think people know now that it's not much of a thing anymore, though.

And if I got a piercing, it would be in my right ear. Right now, just because I think a piercing would be cute and I'd feel odd if it were in the left. And if I were single, it'd be a passive way of letting guys know that I'm fair game.

[Chip]

When I was growing up (a looooong time ago) it was "Left is right, and right is wrong" i.e., the right ear indicated you are gay.

I think that's still sort of a code that some people use, but it is probably mostly generational these days.

[needshelp]

actually thought about doing this for the longest time starting from when i was 18. i wanted to dye my hair blue, get a tounge ring, have my right ear pierced, tighten up my very baggy jeans and basically be the me that i've been holding back on.

but yeah, i'm still thinking about piercing my ear on the right though. i have no ear piercing. i thought that it still applied though at least around the way. all the guys i know pierce both ears or only the left. also another thing i've noticed is that a lot of the gay guys get their tounge pierced too. there's straight guys that get tounge piercings as well but i know that i've seen plenty of gay guys with tounge piercings. they make it obvious that they get down like that.

[dreamcatcher]

Isn't there also some kind of rule that says a girl with a nose ring or a lip ring is a lesbian? I have heard of the whole queer ear piercing but like mad man said, I've seen a lot of straight guys with those piercings.

[djt820]

Who exactly made up these stupid myths? How did it become so popular when it's obviously pretty damn irrelevant? That's what I would like to know.

[Aya McCabre]

I know plenty of people who checked which ear is the gay one before getting pierced.... they always need to double check because it's different in different countries and the internet makes it confusing. I don't know anyone who really pays attention to them though. The guys who have both ears done get a few looks sometimes but nothing major.

[Filip]

Belgium used to be on the Left ear = gay system. Maybe it's like the difference between metric and imperial

Though these days piercings are treated like any other kind of jewelry, so unless a guy is wearing rainbow earrings, I'm not going to jump to any conclusions. In my experience, the ones that look like they pay the most attention to grooming and jewelry are, in fact, the ones that aren't gay...