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.

[georgiapeachy.livejournal.com]

Right is the "gay" side, at least from what i've heard and observed in terms of celebs.

[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.

[xiggaroo.livejournal.com]

BABY PIERCING IS CRUEL. IT'S ALMOST AS FUCKED UP AS ROUTINE CIRCUMCISION! WHY MUST WE MUTILATE OUR CHILDREN TO MAKE THEM MORE AESTHETICALLY APPEALING?!?!?!

</bitch>

[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.

[conuly]

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

[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

[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)

[firingneurons.livejournal.com]

I'm not entirely sure about which side is the gay side at all, personally, I'd always thought it was the left, but I could be wrong. Also, if each person has their own opinion of which side is which no matter which side you pierce there will be people who say it's the gay side. About the matter of infant piercings, I don't see anything wrong with it, I had my ears done when I was 4, and at 4 while I could still make decisions ("mommy, no milk!") I really don't think getting my ears pierced was a choice that I made, so at what age do you think children should get their ears pierced, if you say it should be the child's choice?

[davidkevin.livejournal.com]

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


The problem is that the codes keep changing. When I was a teen, it allegedly was wearing green on Thursday.

[conuly]

*blinkblink*

What if Thursday was St. Patrick's day? Isn't that a very convoluted way to get around having no gaydar whatsoever? What if you needed to know now, and it was only a Tuesday?

[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.

[joeymew.livejournal.com]

I never knew or cared. I think earrings are a stupid way to indicate gayness. If I ever wear earrings, it's usually only one. Because it's usually the only one I can find.

Now that I think about it, and I never have before, I'm with Xiggy in the opinion that it's wrong to give babies earrings if they can't even choose. But I don't think it's nearly as bad as circumcisions. At least with ear peircing, you can choose not to wear earrings and the holes will eventually close up. Even if they don't close, you're not forced to wear earrings and the hole is barely noticable. Circumcisions sound much more painful, and the skin they chop off never grows back, and it can lead to many nasty things.

That's my two cents though. I chose to have my ears peirced when I was really little, I actually had to fight my mom in order to have it done. And I obviously haven't been circumcised XD

[feathered.livejournal.com]

Not four. Or five, six, seven... Maybe ten or eleven or twelve or so. In my opinion, kids have more advanced cognitive abilities then. They're able to see things in more of a cause and effect manner instead of just a "oooh, shiny, I want!" or an "icky, no milk!" sort of way.

I had mine done when I was seven. I wanted it, but only because a friend had them, and I was too young to care for them properly anyway. They got infected, which was *very* painful. I hated it and my parents regretted it.... really, they probably should have waited. They said so themselves at the time. Anyway, now I'm sort of glad I didn't get to keep them, I doubt I'd like them now. If I ever had kids, which I'm not, I would make them wait before deciding whether or not they wanted to punch holes in their bodies, and I certainly wouldn't do it to them as infants.

[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

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Well, in Germany generally they say "Links ist cool, rechts ist schwul", meaning "left side means cool, right side means gay"... so I would have said right. Not that it matters much, since many people mix it up anyway...

[xiggaroo.livejournal.com]

what age do you think children should get their ears pierced, if you say it should be the child's choice?

When they're mature enough to want it, understand the precautions, and know how to care for it. Not an age, really.

And, IMO, it should never. ever. ever. be done with a piercing gun.

[maladaptive.livejournal.com]

"Right is wrong" which means right is the gay side. That's how I heard it. It really doesn't matter anymore, anyway.

I had my ears pierced at six months, and despite what other people say-- I don't bloody care that it was done. Having pierced ears is like having fingers. They've always been that way. ::shrug.:: Probably a good thing, as more piercings make me nervous and I doubt I'll get anymore. Though I do want a massive tattoo on my back. Go figure.

I'm not really pro or con piercing baby ears. I don't think it's cruel because it doesn't hurt (the nerves aren't connected enough for it to really hurt like it would someone older-- and anyone that's gotten their ears pierced later knows that it's really not particularly painful) and it doesn't impair their ability to live like other forms of body mods do.

[parashiggy.livejournal.com]

I got my ears pierced early. But, I don't think I'd get my boy's ears pierced. Dunno. Pierced eared males...somehow disturb me.

And, I don't find it gay. I'm the kind of person that "Live and let lives" If you think than what you've done is best for Seth, you did it right.

[dandelion.livejournal.com]

*nods sagely*

[dandelion.livejournal.com]

Then you wear green and tell everyone it's Thursday(wear a sign round your neck if you have to), if you're that desperate to show your orientation.

People actually wear green on St. Paddy's?

[dandelion.livejournal.com]

I don't really agree with baby bodypiercings...like a five year old who has her nose pierced. Euf.