Are septum piercings gay

Yes, it’s definitely part of queer culture, that’s doesn’t mean only the lgbt community has them at all, or that you can assume someone with one is queer, but for a number of reasons septum rings (and body modifications in general) have taken root as part of queer culture for at least a few decades now. Septum piercings have become a popular form of self-expression in the LGBTQ+ community. Learn about the hidden meaning behind this piercing and how it has become a symbol of pride and solidarity.

In some LGBTQ communities, septum piercings are embraced as a sign of pride and expression. Gobel, a member of the queer community, found that her septum piercing had personal meaning to her: “I didn’t get it because of my sexuality, but I definitely think there are some connections there.”. Septum piercings, or bull nose rings, are sometimes viewed as more sexually provocative because of their association with BDSM, but this isn't super common.

Some LGBTQ+ people use nose rings to signal their sexuality. Another way that piercings exist with queer culture is with the “Gay Ear.” Back when it was much less safe to be openly gay, it was often seen that people would use codes to signal to one another that they were gay. There comes a time in the lives of many queer people when they hope to be confident enough to approach potential romantic partners in public.

For queer femmes who are attracted to other femmes, this can be significantly challenging due to difficulties with outwardly expressing queer identity. This means feminine presenting people are often perceived as straight, and this can be frustrating when they want to romantically approach another femme, build a community of other queer people, or simply express a key part of their identity. But this tends to be futile due to the age-old desire of just wanting to be yourself.

And septum piercings have a rich spiritual and cultural history beyond queer femmes. This is why its recent increase in popularity with non-queer women has become a source of displacement for many queer femmes who have leaned on this form of expression. The hashtag septumpiercing has garnered over 1. Noticeably, I witnessed a spike in septum piercing popularity due to the influence of ex-Love Island star Indiyah Pollack. The effect of this is an erosion of the safety felt by many queer femmes in confidently approaching other femmes with a septum.

This displacement, while frustrating, is very familiar for queer people. Queer culture has regularly been absorbed into the mainstream and can lose its identifying qualities in the process.

septum piercing meaning reddit

This appropriation of language led to a lot of these terms losing their original significance, as many people have adopted them without being aware of their history and the struggles faced by the creators. While septum piercings cannot be equated to the massive influence ballrooms have had on popular culture, a correlation can be drawn. The small confidence boost the presence of a septum piercing provided for approaching another femme romantically could be lost.

The solution is not that straight women should stop getting septum piercings. No one group can claim ownership of a piercing, especially when its history can be found in cultures all over the world. But it would be helpful and mindful for people to educate themselves on the impact of the appropriation of queer signifiers. At QueerAF, we're obsessed with journalism and storytelling that puts lived experience in the driving seat.

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