Due to previous stereotypes about male piercings, there is now a widespread misconception that piercing represents a male’s sexuality. These days, it’s perfectly normal for men to wear only the right ear, only the left, or both ears without any sign of sexual orientation. – If you choose to have your ears pierced to reveal your sexuality, the left ear is generally considered heterosexual and the right is gay.
There is no longer a socially preferred side for a man’s ear piercing. In prior decades, it was generally accepted that gay men pierced their right ears and straight men pierced their left. However, this connotation has gradually disappeared since the 1990s and is rarely seen at the current moment.
It is now widely believed in some circles that if you want to show your heterosexuality, you need to get your left ear pierced. For example, if a guy wants to say and show that he is straight in terms of sexual orientation, then he should have his left ear pierced. In most cases, heterosexual men are advised to avoid ear piercing if they intend to remain heterosexual. For this reason, it is usually impossible to tell if a man is gay or straight just by looking at which ear is pierced.
Pierced Ears Are Merely Hints at Sexual Preference
Just looking at a guy with a pierced ear and assuming his sexuality is completely wrong. Today, it is impossible to clearly and directly tell whether a person is straight just by looking at his pierced ears. All Millennials, Gen Z, and even Baby Boomers don’t care much about learning boys’ sexual preferences by looking at their pierced ears.
The main earring rumor (which still exists today) is that if a guy only pierces his right ear, he does it as a sign that others know I’m gay. It became common to see men with pierced ears, large earrings, and other adornments on their bodies.
With the advent of this type of jewelry line, it can be said that more and more people have adopted an outdated and not so cool trend. In the Western world, earrings, which have long been a purely feminine adornment, have recently been increasingly seen in men’s ears.
Where the Piercing Association with Gay Men Came From
In the 1980s, when the number of men wearing earrings went on an upward trajectory; it has become the norm to consider straight people who wear earrings on their right ear to be heterosexual. In the 1980s in the United States, most heterosexual men who wore earrings preferred to wear them on the left side, while most gay men who wore earrings preferred to wear them on the right side. It also became widely believed that men who wore earrings in their left ears were gay.
The proliferation led to some confusion, and stories began to circulate that there was a secret code that wearing an earring in a pierced left ear was homosexual, and wearing an earring in a pierced right ear was a defiant heterosexual.
Shortly thereafter, the original phrase was lost and people began to forget which ear was the real one, although piercings became more popular. In some places, the idea of piercing one side of the body as gay has been reversed, as the signifier was the left ear. It was considered quite embarrassing, if not terrifying, for a straight man to have the wrong ear pierced because he was sending the wrong message.
It was believed that guys who wear two earrings in their ears symbolize bisexuality and attraction to both sexes. It is not uncommon to see men with both ears pierced and large diamond earrings or something more discreet. Many rappers and hip-hop professionals wear earrings and have their ears pierced to look cooler.
Heterosexual Cultures Also Display Piercing Tendencies
The world of hip-hop and other genres has also come to show us that straight men can also wear earrings in both ears without anyone calling them gay. It should be noted that the concept of gay ears is rapidly losing ground as more and more people get their ears pierced without resorting to sexual inclinations.
Men who get their left ear pierced, right ear or both nowadays Men who get their left ear pierced just turn out to be cool. Therefore, it is sufficient to say that when someone who is straight pierces his left ear, it simply means that he has a same-sex ear pierced. As mentioned, where you live determines whether a right ear piercing is considered gay.
When asked, many gay men will respond that ear piercing as a way of identifying them is outdated and therefore should not be taken seriously. The older generation may not approve of loansharking, but millennials and later generations don’t pay much attention to what’s considered gay and what’s not when it comes to ear piercings. Unconventional piercings are generally frowned upon in white collar professions. In a way, piercing can affect getting a job because certain professions are important to the image they create.
Pierced Ears Among Men Have a Long History
Men have been piercing their ears for centuries, and this tradition will continue into the future. Piercing has been an important part of human culture for centuries, and men and women have chosen to wear earrings in cultures around the world. He writes that in the Elizabethan era, earrings were in fashion for men. For modern guys, finding the right earrings that make you feel confident and look good is not an easy task.
The 70s was over 40 years ago (sorry if I just made you feel old) and piercings have changed quite a lot since piercings were a coded gay message. With the advent of K-pop artists, rappers, and hip-hop artists, the belief that guys with ear piercings are gay has begun to fade.