Okay, last post of the day, sorry for being spammy

[conuly]

And Lizziey is gonna kill me over this one too...

She pierced Seth's ear. The left ear. And when I saw it, the first thing I said was "isn't that the gay side?" This is NOT to say "how could you get him a gay piercing" or anything, I was just showing off my knowledge. This starts off a huge debate, where she swears the right side is the "gay side" and other people say it's the left. There's no consensus.

So, a completely informal poll, so informal that it's not even a real poll:

Which side used to be used to indicate homosexuality? The left or the right? Or don't you know/care?

Comments

[feathered.livejournal.com]

I don't know or care, but isn't he a little young for ear piercings? Or am I just horribly conservative about things like that?

[conuly]

A lot of little girls get pierced at six months, and he's ten months, so no, he's not young.

Of course, a lot of little girls, he's not a little girl, he's a little boy (as I'm sure you've cleverly guessed from the use of the word 'he') but he's still not too young to get an ear pierced.

Of course, Xiggy would disagree, and has, vehemantly, but it's still a done thing.

[feathered.livejournal.com]

Mmm, yes, I suppose lots of parents pierce their children's ears at young ages. I still think that no child should have to undergo such a painful thing without actually deciding to have it done themselves, though. And at ten months Seth obviously can't.

Just my opinion. Looks like I probably agree with Xiggy.

[davidkevin.livejournal.com]

In some families it's a cultural thing. When I was a kid, some forty years ago, a family moved into our neighborhood directly from Italy. When they had a new baby, they pierced his ear with a ring at six weeks, because in the part of rural Italy from where they came, all males wore earrings. It made the kid look kinda like a li'l pirate, actually.

In any case, an ear piercing is considerably less painful for an infant than circumcision, which is routine (and also routinely done without anesthetic) unless you firmly plan ahead to make sure it doesn't happen, as nilajean and I did with our sons -- we were damned if we were going to let the most physically sensitive areas of their bodies be brutally mutilated that way.

[feathered.livejournal.com]

Yes, but in many african families female genitcal mutilation is cultural as well, but that doesn't make it right.

I also don't agree with circumcision. I feel much more strongly about it than I do about piercing babies, naturally. I feel even more strongly about FGM. I don't think any are right, but on the scale whether or not a parent decides to pierce their babies ears is really quite inconsequential.... but I still don't like it. ;P

[eofs.livejournal.com]

My answer is much the same. I don't know which side is the 'gay' side but I don't care either, pierce whichever side you want. And I take the same conservative view point about piercing at such a young age. But at the end of the day, he's not my kid so I don't mind.

[xiggaroo.livejournal.com]

If you think about it, the people who agree with piercing babies and young kids who cannot choose for themselves are in actuality the conservative ones. I agree with giving a kid the right to choose whether he/she wants metal shoved through their body. I'd consider that a pretty 'liberal' standpoint.

[rachelkachel]

Really? Hmm. I hate the idea of piercing babies. And I'm extremely conservative. Can I connect this to abortion without starting a flame war? Probably not... oh well, too late. Anyway, I suppose you'd just respond by pointing out other issues, such as baptism (or religion in general), or spanking, or something... Why don't I just argue with myself then, and save you the trouble?

To reply to the original post, I have no idea really, although I seem to recall from a discussion on NC that it was the right ear. I'm probably wrong though.

[xiggaroo.livejournal.com]

Sure you can apply it to abortion. Mother should have the right to choose. ;D

[conuly]

The only reason I care is because I said it, and now I have to be right, if at all possible.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I came off the wrong way. I wasn't meaning that you care which side it is. I don't know you well personally, but I felt safe in making that judgement ;0)