Debunking myths about the place of piercing and sexuality

 In every piercing parlor in downtown Toronto, every year, thousands of customers ask, "Is there a gay side to piercings?" No matter why they ask, our answer is simple and clear, piercing does not indicate your sexuality. Only you can do it.

We understand that there are many reasons why people ask. Some people want to announce their sexual orientation to the world, others do not want to distort their image. However, many piercers may seem annoyed if you ask. And the reason is simple, this rumor has existed for a long time and portrayed piercing as something that it is not. 

This myth has limited many people in their choice of piercings, and seems to have originated in a time when people were less accepting of other people's sexuality.

Where did this myth come from?

At a time when society was less accepting of LGBTQ+ culture, people believed that LGBTQ+ people used a code to tell each other their sexual orientation. Most often it was associated with ear, eyebrow or nose piercings.

 It's hard to be sure if this was true, since people just as often claimed it was the left side as they were the right.

 However, this is certainly not the case today. People shouldn't feel the need to hide who they are, so the need to express themselves through code doesn't matter. On the contrary, the persistence of this myth is a sign of intimidation and rejection.

What does piercing one side or the other mean?

For the most part, the side of the body you pierce doesn't really matter. The main reason for choosing the piercing side is aesthetics. The best way to choose a side is based on how it will look. For this approach consider:

• hairstyle
• Face shape
• Facial features
• Other piercing

There are some old cultural reasons that people can take into account. In Hindu culture, it is customary to choose the left side for nostril piercings. And in traditional Chinese medicine, the left side was considered more feminine, and the right side more masculine. Today, however, neither side is gender-bound. 

Get the piercing you love in Newmarket

When it comes to choosing the side for your piercing, the only value you need to look for is which side you like better. The notion that one side indicates your sexual orientation is outdated and irrelevant in today's culture. 

Also, your piercing is about you, not about people making snap judgments based on your appearance. So get pierced to your liking, not to please others. Get pierced today at our new Newmarket location!