June 18, 2012

A Short History Of Gay Code Over 100 Plus Years

I got a fun assignment for this year's NEXT magazine Pride Guide issue. I was asked to write about the history of gay signifiers and how they have changed and evolved over the years.  The simple act of wearing an earring in your left ear used to be "code" for identifying publicly but silently as gay. Now these sort of signifiers have little meaning as gay culture has changed so much, especially in the 21st century. So I took a breezy look at the code from Oscar Wilde to Abecrombie....and beyond. Check it out and have a great Pride month! :)