Which earring is the gay one

Robbie (Normal) on X (Twitter) captures a contemporary view by asserting, “either ear is the gay ear if you're gay.” It’s significant because it emphasizes how ear piercings related to sexual orientation are outdated and irrelevant–a sign that societal norms are shifting away from traditional views.

The simple answer is that the right ear is the so-called “gay ear.” However, the history of how this came to be is fraught with mistruths.

It’s important to recognize, however, that the idea of one ear being gay and the other being straight is archaic and not likely to be the wink you think it is. The concept of a gay ear started in the s, a time when gay and queer culture was still very underground.

On the playground, it was a truth so firmly established that defying it meant social suicide: If you have an earring in your right ear, it means you’re gay. We accepted it as gospel and never questioned its validity.