Gay, Lbian, Bisexual, & Transgenr Symbols

Contents:

• SYMBOLS OF GAY AND LBIAN CULTURE
• THE SECRET GAY HISTORY OF TATTOOS AND THEIR HIDN MEANGSJAM BANVALLE·FOLLOW11 M READ·AUG 25, 2018--LISTENSHAREDID YOU KNOW RSIAN CRIMALS THE 1950S HAD A SECRET TATTOO TO INTIFY GAY PEOPLE?THE LGBTI MUNY HAS A LONG AND VARIED HISTORY WH TATTOOS.IN A TIME WHEN WAS ILLEGAL TO BE OUT AND PROUD WTERN CULTURE, MANY LGBTI PEOPLE GOT TATTOOS TO NVEY SECRET MSAG OR AS AN ACT OF FIANCE TO THORY.THE DAYS, TATTOOS AND LGBTI CULTURE GO HAND HAND AND ’S A TREND THAT’S ON THE RISE.BUT WHERE DID ALL BEG AND WHAT DO THE HIDN MEANGS SIGNIFY?‘BAD BOYS AND TOUGH TATTOOS’ACRDG TO FAMO GAY TATTOOIST SAMUEL STEWARD (ALSO KNOWN AS PHIL SPARROW), THE GAY MUNY PARTICULAR REALLY BEGAN EMBRACG TATTOOS THE 1950S.STEWARD WAS BORN 1909 AND LED MANY VARIED ROL LIFE, CLUDG A PROFSOR AT A ROMAN CATHOLIC UNIVERSY AND AN THOR OF GAY PULP FICTN.HE WAS ALSO THE OFFICIAL TATTOO ARTIST FOR THE MOTORCYCLE CLUB, THE HELLS ANGELS OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.STEWARD PUBLISHED HIS THOUGHTS ON GAY MEN GETTG TATTOOS HIS 1990 BOOK BAD BOYS & TOUGH TATTOOS: A SOCIAL HISTORY OF THE TATTOO WH GANGS, SAILORS, AND STREET-CORNER PUNKS.STEWARD SAID: ‘ONE CHANGE, HOWEVER, ME ABOUT THE HOMOSEXUAL ATTU TOWARDS TATTOOS AROUND 1954.’HE NTUED: ‘FOLLOWG THE NATNAL RELEASE OF THE MOVIE THE WILD ONE WH MARLON BRANDO; THE ORIGAL MOTORCYCLE FILM, SEEMED TO CRYSTALLIZE OR RELEASE, THE OBSCURE AND LONG-HIDN FEELGS OF MANY HOMOSEXUALS.’STEWARD BELIEV TATTOOS BEME A SYMBOL OF MASCULY FOR GAY MEN, CLOSELY TIED WH THE GAY LEATHER MUNY.HE SAID: ‘I WAS OVERWHELMED BY THE SUDN APPEARANCE OF SO MANY OF THE FIGUR… AS THE IMPULSE OF MANY HOMOSEXUALS TO BE NSIRED MORE MASCULE — BY THE ADDN OF A TATTOO — GREW STRONGER.’THERE ARE ALSO EXAMPL OF LBIANS THE 1940S AND 50S LERALLY WEARG THEIR SEXUALY ON THEIR SLEEVE BY GETTG A PARTICULAR TATTOO (BUT MORE ON THAT LATER).HERE ARE THE MOST MON LGBTI-SPIRED TATTOOS AND WHAT MEANS TO THE PEOPLE WHO GOT THEM.NOTE: IF SOMEONE HAS ONE OF THE TATTOOS, DO NOT MEAN THEY TOMATILLY INTIFY WH THE EXPLANATNS BELOW1. PK TRIANGLE TATTOOIN NAZI GERMANY THE MID-1940S, GAY PRISONERS NCENTRATN MPS WERE FORCED TO WEARG PK TRIANGL AS A BADGE OF SHAME.IN FACT, ONE SCHOLAR SAYS THE GAY PRISONERS WERE THE ‘LOWT OF THE LOW’ THE HIERARCHY OF THE NCENTRATN MPS.NAZIS TORTURED THE GAY PRISONERS BY STRATG SOME OF THEM AND SODOMIZG THEM WH EMS LIKE BROOMSTICKS. THEY ALSO PERFORMED DANGERO EXPERIMENTS ON THEM TO FD CUR FOR TYPH FEVER AND HOMOSEXUALY.ACRDG TO TIMATNS, BETWEEN 5,000 AND 15,000 GAY PEOPLE DIED GERMAN NCENTRATN MPS.WHEN EYE WNS ACUNTS AND PERSONAL TTIMONI EMERGED SEVERAL S LATER, LGBTI ACTIVISTS BEGAN RECLAIMG THE SYMBOL.THE EARLIT ACUNTS AMERI DATE BACK TO 1977, WHERE LGBTI ACTIVISTS MIAMI PNED PK TRIANGL TO THEIR CLOTH TO PROTT HOG DISCRIMATN.IN THE EARLY 80S, ANIZATN ACT-UP ED THE PK TRIANGLE TO TRY TO RAISE AWARENS THE MIDST OF THE AIDS CRISIS.INSTEAD OF G THE UPSI DOWN TRIANGLE — AS THE NAZIS DID — ACTIVIST AVRAM FKELSTE ME UP WH G THE RIGHT WAY UP.THE ANIZATN ED ARGUABLY S MOST FAMO MPAIGN POSTER: SILENCE = DEATH.SCE THEN, ACTIVISTS HAVE ED THE SYMBOL VAR MPAIGNS SCE, CLUDG PROTTS LAST YEAR OVER NCENTRATN MPS CHECHNYA.THE SYMBOL WENT OM BEG A BADGE OF SHAME, TO A SYMBOL OF PRI.HOW LGBTI PEOPLE RECLAIMED THE PK TRIANGLEMANY LGBTI PEOPLE NOW PROUDLY SHOW OFF THEIR TATTOO PK TRIANGL.‘I GOT AFTER THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB SHOOTG FLORIDA,’ NICK MCGLYNN TOLD GAY STAR NEWS. ‘AT THE TIME, REALLY BROUGHT HOME THE PHYSIL VLENCE THAT’S STILL DIRECTED AT QUEER PEOPLE.‘I WAS ANGRY AND I WANTED TO HAVE MY QUEERNS PERMANENTLY WRTEN ON MY BODY AS A “FUCK YOU” TO THE FEAR OF BEG VISIBLY QUEER PUBLIC,’ HE SAID.MCGLYNN IS A TEACHER AND SAYS HIS PK TRIANGLE TATTOO ISN’T AS OBVLY GAY AS A RABOW FLAG, SO HIS STUNTS OFTEN ASK HIM ABOUT .‘IT GIV ME AN OPPORTUNY TO SAY OUT LOUD PUBLIC THAT I’M A GAY MAN,’ HE SAID.GREG BAILLIE GOT HIS PK TRIANGLE TATTOO ON HIS WRIST SO HE N HI UNR HIS WATCH IF HE EVER FEELS UNSAFE.HE SAID: ‘I GOT TO FEEL LIKE PART OF A MUNY WHILST REMEMBERG THE HORROR THAT HAD BEFTED SOME THAT HAD WENT BEFORE.JEFF INGOLD WANTED TO MAKE HIS TRIANGLE TATTOO SPECIAL SO HE GOT A TRIANGLE OUTLE, WH THE DATE HE ME OUT THE MIDDLE.HE SAID: ‘I GOT THIS TATTOO TO REMEMBER ALL THOSE WHO ME BEFORE ME, WHO FOUGHT AND DIED FOR OUR RIGHTS AND ALSO, TO PLACE MYSELF THAT HISTORY.’INGOLD NTUED: ‘ALONG WH THAT, MY DAD ONCE TOLD ME HE WISHED I DIDN’T WEAR MY SEXUALY ON MY SLEEVE SO MUCH.’SO HE GOT ON HIS ARM FIANCE.‘THIS IS WHO I AM, THIS IS MY HISTORY AND I WON’T BE ASHAMED OF SHOWG OFF,’ HE ADD.BISEXUAL PEOPLE ALSO HAVE A VERSN OF THE PK TRIANGLE WH A BLUE TRIANGLE LKED.2. NTIL STAR TATTOOIN THE LATE 1940S AND 50S, SOME LBIANS GOT A NTIL STAR TATTOOED ON THEIR WRIST AS A SIGNAL TO OTHER LBIANS.MALE D. DAVIS AND ELIZABETH LAPOVSKY KENNEDY’S 1993 BOOK BOOTS OF LEATHER, SLIPPERS OF GOLD: THE HISTORY OF A LBIAN COMMUNY EXPLAS THE PHENOMENON.THEY EXPLAED: ‘THE CULTURAL PH TO BE INTIFIED AS LBIANS — OR AT LEAST DIFFERENT — ALL THE TIME WAS SO POWERFUL THAT GENERATED A NEW FORM OF INTIFITN AMONG THE TOUGH BAR LBIANS: A STAR TATTOO ON THE TOP OF THE WRIST, WHICH WAS UALLY VERED BY A WATCH.‘THIS WAS THE FIRST SYMBOL OF MUNY INTY THAT DID NOT RELY ON BUTCH-FEM IMAGERY,’ THEY WROTE.KENNEDY AND DAVIS ALSO SAID THE LOL POLICE BUFFALO, NEW YORK KNEW ABOUT THE PRACTISE, SO WAS VERY RISKY.POLICE HAD A LIST OF NAM OF KNOWN LBIANS. FOR THIS REASON, THE TATTOO WAS ALWAYS ON THE WRIST WHERE ULD HI BEHD A WRISTWATCH.THE NTIL STAR IS NOW HUGELY POPULAR AMONG LGBTI PEOPLE, CLUDG A LOT OF GAY PORN STARS.AS WELL AS BEG A MON TATTOO FOR SAILORS ( SYMBOLIZ SAILORS TRYG TO FD THEIR WAY HOME), THE NTIL STAR ALSO POTS TO PROSTUTN SOME CIRCL.3. SRPN/BHAZARD TATTOOIN 2011, CNN PUBLISHED A PIECE OM A GAY MAN WHO IS HIV+.IN THE PIECE, MICHAEL LEE HOWARD SAYS HE GOT THE BHAZARD SYMBOL ON HIS RIGHT ARM AND THE RADIATN SYMBOL ON HIS LEFT TO DITE THAT HE’S LIVG WH HIV.AFTER HIS DIAGNOSIS 2005, HOWARD SAID HE GOT THE TATTOOS TO HELP HIM ON HIS JOURNEY OF SELF-ACCEPTANCE.HE SAID: ‘IT’S A BRANDG OF WHO I AM, AND ’S A BRANDG OF BEG FORTABLE WH THAT, BEG FORTABLE WH WHO I AM.’ANOTHER TATTOO LISTED THE ARTICLE AS A SIGNIFIER FOR SOMEONE LIVG WH HIV IS THE SRPN. THIS ONE IS MORE TRICKY BEE THE SRPN TATTOO IS ALSO CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WH ASTROLOGY.GAY MAN WILLIAM CONLEY SAID HE ALSO KNOWS 45–60 OTHERS WHO GOT THE BHAZARD AND SRPN SYMBOLS TATTOOED ON THEIR BODY.IN RPONSE TO THE ARTICLE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF GMFA MATTHEW HODSON WARNED WAS ONLY A SMALL MORY OF GAY MEN GETTG THE TATTOOS.HE SAID: ‘THE PROBLEM WH ANY D REFERENCE TO HIV STAT IS THAT MAY NOT BE UNIVERSALLY UNRSTOOD, SO EVEN IF YOU HAVE A GREAT BIG B-HAZARD TATTOO ACROSS YOUR BUTT-CHEEKS, DON’T NECSARILY MEAN THAT EVERYONE YOU HAVE SEX WH IS GOG TO UNRSTAND WHAT MEANS.‘MOST PEOPLE WH HIV DON’T TELL ALL OF THEIR SEXUAL PARTNERS.‘AND ALTHOUGH SOME GAY MEN CHOOSE TO K THEIR STAT, FIERCE AND UNAPOLOGETIC, ON THEIR SK, THE MAJORY OF DON’T,’ HE SAID.4. ARM BAND TATTOOWHILE SOME PEOPLE MIGHT JT LIKE THE LOOK OF ARM BAND TATTOOS, OTHERS GET THEM TO LET THE WORLD KNOW THEY ENJOY ANAL FISTG.ALEXIS GARCIA TOLD GAY STAR NEWS HE GOT HIS DOUBLE ARM BAND TATTOO ‘TO STAND FOR EQUALY’.HE HAD NO IA ABOUT THE DOUBLE MEANG BEHD THE TATTOO BUT SAID: ‘IT’S IMPORTANT TO ME AS MEANS EQUALY.’KIERAN EVANS SAID HE ALSO DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE DOUBLE MEANG UNTIL AFTER HE GOT DONE. HE HAS MULTIPLE BANDS ON HIS ARM TO REPRENT A MEMBER OF HIS FAY.HE SAID: ‘WHEN I WALK TO A ROOM OF GAYS WEARG A SHORT SLEEVED SHIRT, ONE OF TWO THGS GO THROUGH MY HEAD; I’M EHER LOOKG CUTE AS HELL OR THEY THK I LIKE TO GET MY HANDS DIRTY.’HE’S ACTUALLY HAD GAY MEN ASK HIM ABOUT THE DOUBLE MEANG BEFORE.EVANS SAID: ‘THIS ONE TIME AT A HOOKUP, THE GUY ASKED IF I DID PORN. A FEW YEARS LATER, I THEN REALISED WHY HE ASKED BEE A LOT OF PORN STARTS HAVE BAND TATTOOS AS WELL.’SOME PEOPLE MIGHT ALSO GET THIS TATTOO TO SYMBOLIZE THE EQUALS SIGN.5. EY TATTOORSIAN CRIMAL TATTOOS HAVE A LONG LIST OF HIDN MEANGS.IN SOVIET UNN PRISONS, THERE WAS A STRONG CULTURE OF TATTOOS BEG ED TO DITE A PERSON’S CRIMAL REER AND RANK. IT DIFFERENTIATED WHO WERE CRIMAL EL AND WHO WERE POLIL PRISONERS.THE PRACTICE STARTED AROUND 1930, GREW TO PROMENCE THE 50S AND DIED DOWN BY THE 80S.SOME PROMENT SYMBOLS CLU STAR TATTOOS (DITG THORY), SKULL (DITG MURR), CROSS (A TRADNAL ‘THIEV CROSS’) AND BELLS (DITG A LONG SENTENCE WH NO CHANCE OF EARLY RELEASE).BUT THERE ARE SOME GAY SYMBOLS TOO, LIKE THE EY TATTOO. WHEN TATTOOED ON THE LOWER STOMACH, MEANS THE PERSON IS GAY. THE PENIS SYMBOLIZ A NOSE, WH THE TWO EY ABOVE WATCHG.MOST OF THE TATTOOS SYMBOLIZG BEG GAY WERE FORCED ONTO PEOPLE AS A WAY TO SHAME THEM.FOR EXAMPLE, A SNAKE ENTWED WH A WOMAN DIT A ‘PASSIVE HOMOSEXUAL’ — PECIALLY TATTOOED ON THE BACK.BETY MARKS BENEATH THE EY ALSO DITE A ‘PASSIVE HOMOSEXUAL’, AS WELL AS RED SUS RDS (DIAMONDS OR HEARTS) ON A PRISONER’S BACK.6. EQUALS SIGN TATTOOTHIS ONE’S FAIRLY SELF-EXPLANATORY BUT ’S WORTH MENTNG.THE RED EQUALS SIGN ROSE TO PROMENCE 2013 WHEN THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN ED TO URGE PEOPLE TO SUPPORT MARRIAGE EQUALY THE UNED STAT.A SEA OF THE EQUALS SIGNS FLOOD SOCIAL MEDIA AND EFFECTIVELY GOT THE NVERSATN FLOWG ABOUT LGBTI RIGHTS.AS A RULT, MANY PEOPLE GOT LTLE PARALLEL LE TATTOOS ON THEIR BODY TO SYMBOLIZE EQUALY.SARAH EBA TOLD GAY STAR NEWS: ‘I GOT TWO YEARS AGO RIGHT AFTER I ME OUT TO MY GRANDMA AND SHE DIDN’T APPROVE BEE SHE DIDN’T THK EQUALY FOR GAYS SHOULD BE THE SAME FOR STRAIGHT PEOPLE.‘IT PISSED ME OFF SO I GOT THE TATTOO AND SHOWED HER. BUT NOW I LOVE AND REMDS ME OF WHO I AM EVERY TIME I SEE ,’ SHE SAID.JAM BAKER SAID HE GOT HIS EQUALS SIGN TATTOO A FEW YEARS BACK, BUT WANTED THE UPSI TRIANGLE TOO.HE EXPLAED: ‘I’M NOT SOMEONE WHO YOU WOULD STANTLY REGNISE AS LGBTI.‘GOG THROUGH UNIVERSY AND NOW PLAYG FOR A GAY FOOTBALL TEAM LONDON, I WANTED TO SHOW THAT I WAS PROUD AFTER NOT BEG NFINT WHEN I WAS YOUNGER,’ HE SAID.DURG THE 1960S, LBIAN FEMISTS ADOPTED THE LABRYS TATTOO AS A SYMBOL OF STRENGTH AND PENNCE.THE LABRYS, OR DOUBLE-BLAD BATTLE AXE, IS ASSOCIATED WH ANCIENT MATRIARCHAL SOCIETI, THE AMAZONS AND THE GREEK GODSS DEMETER.IN THE MOAN CIVILIZATN (LASTG OM AROUND 3,000 TO 1,100 BCE), THE SOCIETY AT THE TIME WAS PREDOMATELY MATRIARCHAL.THEIR RELIGN CENTERED AROUND A BARE-BREASTED GREAT GODSS WHO IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN A PROTECTOR OF WOMEN.THIS GODSS IS OFTEN PORTRAYED AS HOLDG SNAK HER HANDS — A SYMBOL OF FERTILY AND AGRICULTURE — AND SURROUND BY FEMALE WORSHIPPERS WH DOUBLE AX.IT REPRENTS A SYMBOL OF POWER.THE SYMBOL SOMETIM APPEARS AGAST A VLET BACKGROUND (A MONLY ACKNOWLEDGED SAPPHIC LOR) AND AN UPSI DOWN TRIANGLE.IN KYRGYZSTAN, THERE’S EVEN AN LGBTI RIGHTS ANIZATN LLED LABRYS.UNFORTUNATELY SOME TRANS-EXCLNARY RADIL FEMISTS (TERFS) HAVE -OPTED THE SYMBOL RECENT YEARS.8. LAMBDA TATTOOLAMBDA IS THE 11TH LETTER OF THE GREEK ALPHABET.THE GAY ACTIVIST ALLIANCE SELECTED THE SYMBOL TO REPRENT THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT 1970. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TERPRETATNS OF THE SYMBOL, CLUDG STANDG FOR ‘LIBERATN’. IT’S ALSO THE PHYSICS SYMBOL FOR ENERGY.ALAN MEGGS GOT HIS LAMBDA TATTOO THE EARLY 90S AT FRH ST TATTOOS LONDON.HE GOT BEE HE WANTED ‘SOMETHG LS EASILY REGNIZABLE THAN THE PK TRIANGLE SO PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TO ASK ME ABOUT .’MEGGS TOLD GAY STAR NEWS: ‘IT FEELS MORE POLIL — LS MASTREAM. MY OWN LTLE ACT OF REBELLN.‘IT REMDS ME OF OUR PAST AND THE BATTL THAT HAVE BEEN WON TO BE ACCEPTED TO MASTREAM SOCIETY. AND REMDS ME WE STILL HAVE A FAIR WAY TO GO.‘WE SHOULD NTUE TO WALK THE FOOTPRTS OF THE PEOPLE WHO FOUGHT THE LAWS AND PREJUDIC OF THE LATE 60S AND EARLY 70S AND NO BE PLACENT. IT’S PART OF MY GAY HISTORY,’ HE SAID.9. CIRCLE TATTOOSOME TERSEX PEOPLE MAY PROUDLY GET A CIRCLE TATTOO.ORGANISATN INTERSEX INTERNATNAL (OII) ATRALIA CREATED THE TERSEX PRI FLAG 2013. THE YELLOW BACKGROUND AND PURPLE CIRCLE REPRENT ‘HERMAPHRODE’ LORS.ACRDG TO THE WEBSE: ‘THE CIRCLE IS UNBROKEN AND UNORNAMENTED, SYMBOLIZG WHOLENS AND PLETENS.‘WE ARE STILL FIGHTG FOR BODILY TONOMY AND GENAL TEGRY, AND THIS SYMBOLIZ THE RIGHT TO BE WHO AND HOW WE WANT TO BE,’ THE WEBSE STAT.10. WHATEVER YOU WANT TO BE!LGBTI PEOPLE N GET A MYRIAD OF TATTOOS THAT REPRENT THEIR GENR INTY OR SEXUALY.JAM STANNAH SAID HE WANTED SOMETHG SUPER GAY SO HE GOT TWO TOM OF FLAND-SPIRED MEN KISSG.HE SAID: ‘I WANTED SOMETHG THAT WAS ACTUALLY SO OBVLY GAY AND A LTLE SHOCKG TO LOOK AT.‘[IT] IS SUCH AN OPEN DISPLAY OF SENTIALLY HOW PROUD I AM THAT I’M GAY.‘IT’S ALSO A B OF A FUCK YOU. I BASILLY AM NOW RTRICTED OM TAKG MY TOP OFF QUE A FEW UNTRI WORLDWI FOR FEAR OF ARRT. BUT ’S ALSO A B OF A MIDDLE FGER TO ALL OF THAT AS WELL,’ HE SAID.CANDICE ARMAH INTIFI AS NON-BARY AND SAW A TATTOO BY ARTIST JULIM ROSA ON SOCIAL MEDIA WH THE WORD ‘GENR’ A DISTORTED SIGN.ARMAH EXPLAED: ‘WARPED AND WAVY WORDS SEEMED TO F HOW I FELT AND STILL FEEL ABOUT THE GENR BARY. I WANTED MY OWN VERSN TO KEEP WH ME SO ASKED HER TO DRAW SOME MOCK-UPS.‘I LOVED THE RULT,’ THEY ADD.ALEXAVIER TAIGA WANTED SOMETHG SPECIAL AS A NOD TO HIS TRANS INTY. SO HE GOT A QUOTE OM CHRIS COLFER’S BOOK STCK BY LIGHTG.THE BOOK IS ABOUT A GUY WHO WANTS TO LEAVE HIS NSERVATIVE TOWN.TAIGA SAID: ‘I LOVE THE QUOTE BEE I E OM A NSERVATIVE SMALL TOWN. BUT HAS EXTRA MEANG FOR ME BEE I’M A TRANS GUY.‘I GOT THE TATTOO BEFORE G OUT TO ANYONE,’ HE SAID.HE’S CURRENTLY 12 MONTHS ON TTOSTERONE AND HE’LL GET THE OTHER HALF OF THE QUOTE AFTER HIS TOP SURGERY SOON.THE SEND HALF OF THE QUOTE IS ‘ONCE THERE WAS A BOY WHO FLEW’.ERIK LULILIAN WANTED TO FEATURE TRIANGL AND A BIRD TO SYMBOLIZE ‘EEDOM’ AND AS AN HOMAGE TO HIS QUEER INTY.HE SAID: ‘I THK TATTOOS THEIR OWN RIGHT ARE A KD OF RECLAMATN OF OUR BODI.‘SO MANY QUEER PEOPLE GREW UP HOEHOLDS [THAT] SENT MSAG THAT OUR BODI ARE NOT OUR OWN. IT TAK A LOT OF NER WORK TO UNDO THAT MDSET.‘MY TATTOOS, THAT WAY, ARE AN OUTWARD EXPRSN AND CELEBRATN OF MY LIBERATN,’ HE SAID.SEE ALSO
• GRDR LNCH CTOM GAY EMOJIS AND THEY’RE AS FILTHY AS YOU’D EXPECT
• HOW GAY CULTURE BLOSSOMED DURG THE ROARG TWENTI
• WHAT DO THE RABOW MEAN FOR GAYS?
• GRDR'S NEW "GAYMOJI" OFFER A WHOLE VOBULARY BEYOND EGGPLANT AND PEACH
• GAY WATER — CYNIL, PAT-BY-NUMBERS VIRTUE-SURFG START-UP? OR BEVERAGE INDTRY UNIRN WH GIFT OF GAY RIGHTS?
• BNETSUBSCRIBESIGN {"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","URL":","MAENTYOFPAGE":","HEADLE":"THE NEWT QUEER IN: FROGS","SCRIPTN":"MONIZED BY ALEX JON, LGBTQ+ MEME MAKERS HAVE EMBRACED AMPHIBIANS AS A MAST","IMAGE":[{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":"}],"DATEPUBLISHED":"2021-05-07T20:40:28+00:00","DATEMODIFIED":"2021-05-07T20:40:28+00:00","ISACCSIBLEFORFREE":TE,"THOR":[{"@TYPE":"PERSON","NAME":"BRIAN FELDMAN","URL":","SCRIPTN":"THE VENTOR OF BLOGGG","INTIFIER":"ER:241258","IMAGE":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","NTENTURL":","THUMBNAILURL":"}}],"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"BNET","URL":","SCRIPTN":"A NEWSLETTER ABOUT THE TER AND PUTERS OR WHATEVER","TERACTNSTATISTIC":{"@TYPE":"INTERACTNCOUNTER","NAME":"SUBSCRIBERS","TERACTNTYPE":","ERINTERACTNCOUNT":1000},"INTIFIER":"PUB:39741"}}SHARE THIS POSTTHE NEWT QUEER IN: COPY LKFACEBOOKEMAILNOTOTHERTHE NEWT QUEER IN: FROGSMONIZED BY ALEX JON, LGBTQ+ MEME MAKERS HAVE EMBRACED AMPHIBIANS AS A MASTBRIAN FELDMANMAY 7, 2021SHAREBY LIZ SOMMERJUDY GARLAND. DIANNA ROSS. CHER. LADY GAGA. TO THIS DAY, THE NCEPT OF A “GAY IN” IS STILL LARGELY REPRENTED BY (OFTEN HETEROSEXUAL) CELEBRY WOMEN WHO EMBODY ELEMENTS OF SEXUALY AND SELFHOOD THAT RONATE WH AT LEAST SOME LGBTQ+ PEOPLE. WHILE THE PHRASE “GAY IN” MAY NNOTE A DIVA WORSHIPPED BY CIS GAY MEN, A WI RANGE OF CELEBRI HAVE BEE OBJECTS OF AFFECTN BY LGBTQ+ PEOPLE.AS THE TER OPENS UP SPACE FOR QUEER PEOPLE TO FAWN OVER, STAN, AND SHAPE THEIR OWN NARRATIV ABOUT THEIR INS, THE PARAMETERS OF WHAT NSTUT ONE ARE EXPANDG. IN ADDN TO THE CLN OF A MORE DIVERSE SET OF PEOPLE, MANY OF WHOM ARE THEMSELV MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ+ MUNY, THE NNON OF QUEER INOGRAPHY ON THE TER HAS AN EVEN WIR SPE. IT NOW CLUS THE GREEN AND BROWN M&MS, MISS PIGGY, ICED FFEE, THE PLANT SECTN AT LOWE’S, AND OGS.PLENTY OF TIKTOK VIOS LIST “THGS THAT AREN’T GAY/QUEER/LGBTQ+ BUT HAVE GAY/QUEER/LGBTQ+ ENERGY.” THEY’RE TYPILLY PRENTED WHOUT EXPLANATN, JT THE STATEMENT THAT ANIMATE OBJECTS, STRAIGHT CELEBRI, STOR, ANIMALS, MOVIE VILLAS, POLIL IOLOGI, ETC., HAVE QUEER VIB. FROGS ARE A RECURRG EM ON THE LISTS. OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO, I’VE NOTICED A STEADY AND GROWG STREAM OF QUEER-RELATED OG NTENT ON THE RNERS OF THE TER I HAB. EXAMPL CLU TWEETS ABOUT BISEXUALS LOVG OGS, OG PRI MERCH SOLD ON ETSY, LBIAN OG MEM, AND A BUILD-A-LGBTQ-OG TUMBLR THREAD. AT FIRST, I DIDN’T THK MUCH OF THIS BEE JT MA SENSE TO ME — THE MORN TER IS PERSONALIZED TO EACH ER. AS A QUEER PERSON WHO VAGUELY LOV OGS, I WASN’T PARTICULARLY SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT THERE WERE OTHER QUEER PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ALSO LOVE OGS. IN EARLY QUARANTE, WHEN I GOT EP TO THE OG-CENTRIC PART OF TIKTOK KNOWN, PREDICTABLY, AS #FROGTOK, HOWEVER, I REALIZED THAT THE NARRATIVE OF OG-LOVG QUEER PEOPLE WAS NOT JT A VAGUE FEELG, BUT AN ACTUAL SORT OF LGBTQ+ TER FANDOM FOR THE AMPHIBIAN. IT’S WORTH NOTG THAT OGS ARE BIG ON THE TER GENERAL. IN ADDN TO PEPE (THE MATT FURIE-CREATED OG -OPTED BY THE ALT-RIGHT WHO IS ABSENT OM MOST OF THE LGBTQ+ OG MEM I’VE ENUNTERED), OGS N BE FOUND WEARG WBOY HATS TIKTOKS, LERALLY JT VIBG, AND A WI RANGE OF JOK, IMAGE MACROS, AND TRENDS WHOUT SPECIFIC NNECTNS TO LGBTQ+ CULTURE.COURTY OF TUMBLR ER QUALIDYKEAS TO POSSIBLE ORIGS OF THE RISE OF OGS AS A QUEER MAST, THERE ARE THREE MAJOR RECURRG THEM. 1. “TURN THE FRICK’ FROGS GAY”IN ONE OF HIS BETTER-KNOWN UNHGED RANTS: THE 2015 “GAY BOMB” SPEECH, ALEX JON FAMOLY TOLD THE INFOWARS DIENCE ABOUT CHEMILS ADD TO WATER “TURNG THE ICK’ OGS GAY.” IN THE ORIGAL CLIP, WHICH, ALONG WH THE RT OF THE INFOWARS LIBRARY HAS BEEN BANNED OM YOUTUBE, JON MENTNS THE GAY OGS AS EVINCE THAT THE UNED STAT ERNMENT HAS BEEN ADDG THE HERBICI ATRAZE TO TAP WATER AS PART OF A PLOT TO SPREAD HOMOSEXUALY, EMASCULATG MEN AND RCG POPULATN GROWTH. THE ACTUAL MENTN OF GAY OGS IS BRIEF, BUT HIS LIVERY IS MEMORABLE. AFTER SAYG “WHAT DO YOU THK TAP WATER IS? IT’S A GAY BOMB, BABY,” JON ATTEMPTS TO EXPLA THAT HE ISN’T SHOCKED BY GAY SEX BEFORE SHARPLY SHIFTG TO YELLG “I DON’T LIKE ‘EM PUTTING CHEMICALS IN THE WATER THAT TURN THE FRICKIN’ FROGS GAY. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?” HE THEN SLAPS THE PAPERS ON HIS SK WH ANOTHER STACK OF PAPERS, GNTG AND ADDG “I’M SICK OF THIS CRAP, I’M SICK OF BEG SOCIAL ENGEERED. IT’S NOT FUNNY!” AFTER THAT, HE OLS DOWN, NOT THAT HE NEEDS THE PAPERS THAT HE’S JT KNOCKED OFF HIS SK, AND APOLOGIZ TO HIS “FAY DIENCE” AND TO J BEFORE CHANGG THE SUBJECT. I’M NOT A REGULAR INFOWARS VIEWER SO I’M NOT SURE HOW EXCEPTNAL THIS CLIP IS, BUT WATCHG AN FAMO PEDDLER OF DANGERO NSPIRACY THEORI ABSOLUTELY LOSE OVER THE POSSIBILY OF CHEMILLY-DUCED GAY OG BEHAVR IS FUN. I IMAGE THAT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE HAD A CUP OR TWO OF THE ALEX JON KOOL-AID, THIS WOULD BE A SER PSA, BUT FOR ANYONE ELSE, ’S A SOLID REMR THAT HIS THEORI ARE PLETELY ABSURD, TO SAY THE LEAST. THIS SOUNDBE HAS BEEN REMIXED TO TCHY CLUBBY MIX THAT N BE FOUND ON 1-HOUR LOOPS ON YOUTUBE AND ON TIKTOK AS VIO SOUNDTRACKS. THEY PRIMARILY FEATURE THE WORDS “GAY” AND “OGS” REPEATED THROUGHOUT, AND HONTLY ARE SOMETHG I’D DANCE TO THE GAY CLUB IF/WHEN THEY EVER OPEN AGA.WHILE AN EMBRACE OF OGS AS GAY INS ULD BE A WAY TO RECLAIM THEM OM ALEX JON’ HOMOPHOBIC NSPIRACY THEORY, I THK S STAYG POWER OM THE NATE SILLS OF SOMEONE BEG SO UPSET BY THE NCEPT OF GAY OGS, AS WELL AS THE TCHS OF THE REMIX THAT JON SPIRED. GAY OGS WOULD BE PRETTY OL, ACTUALLY, AND THEIR EXISTENCE WOULD BE FURTHER REASON FOR LGBTQ+ PEOPLE TO CLAIM THEM AS INS.2. FROG & TOADFROG AND TOAD OF ARNOLD LOBEL’S BOOK SERI ARE GAY PARTNERS. THIS IS WELL DOCUMENTED AND THOUGH LOBEL NEVER OFFICIALLY NFIRMED THIS AS NON, HE DID E OUT TO HIS FAY AS GAY A FEW YEARS AFTER THE FIRST FROG AND TOAD BOOK WAS PUBLISHED. CELEBRATNS OF FROG AND TOAD’S RELATNSHIP ROMANTICIZE THEIR IDYLLIC UNTRY LIFTYLE, AMPLE AMOUNT OF LEISURE TIME, AND FASHN SENSE THAT’S REPLITED BY MANY PRENT-DAY QUEER HUMANS. THERE IS ALSO, OF URSE, SOME RULE 34 (THE TER LE THAT ANY OBJECT, CHARACTER, OR MEDIA ANCHISE IMAGABLE HAS PORN ASSOCIATED WH ) FAN ART OUT THERE PICTG THE UPLE’S SEXUAL RELATNSHIP. THE FROG AND TOAD LIFTYLE EPOMIZ “TTAGERE,” AN TER-BORN SUBCULTURE EMBRACED AS AN PIST FANTASY FOR MANY QUEER PEOPLE, PECIALLY LBIANS AND QUEER WOMEN. COTTAGERE GAED SIGNIFINT TRACTN DURG THE COVID-19 PANMIC AS PEOPLE WHO WERE QUARANTG AND ISOLATG, OFTEN SMALL APARTMENTS, TOOK TO BAKG BREAD, GROWG FOOD OM KCHEN SCRAPS, MAKG THEIR OWN CLOTH, AND GENERALLY EMBRACG DOMTICY. WHILE SOME PARTICIPANTS TTAGERE AND ADJACENT LIFTYL ARE KNOWN AS TRADWIF FOR THEIR ADHERENCE TO NSERVATIVE IALS AND “RETURN TO THE GOOD OLE DAYS” ATTU, MANY LGBTQ+ PEOPLE AND LEFTISTS SEE TTAGERE AS A LANDSPE TO IMAGE A WORLD CENTERED AROUND LOVE, RE, NATURE, AND MUNY.BEYOND JT FROG AND TOAD SPECIFILLY, THE ATHETIC OF OGS GENERAL FS WELL WH FANTASI OF LIVG A BETIFUL TTAGE WH YOUR QUEER PARTNER AND/OR CHOSEN FAY, SURROUND BY OGS, MHROOMS, AND IENDLY ANTHROPOMORPHIZED WOODLAND CREATUR. FROG FUN FACT SI NOTE: KERM ISN’T GAY, BUT HE DID MARRY MISS PIGGY SO ARGUABLY HAS BI WIFE ENERGY (A SEMI-IRONIC TERM ED BY TIKTOK ER @CRGELIZARD TO CHARACTERIZE STRAIGHT MEN WHO ARE OFTEN MISTAKEN AS GAY OR BISEXUAL, BUT WHO ACTUALLY JT LOVE THEIR BISEXUAL WIFE). CAN’T YOU JT IMAGE KERM SGG “WELL, TO BE HONT I’M A HETERO GUY, BUT I REALLY TRY TO BE A GOOD ALLY AND A’T NO SECRET AND I’LL TELL YOU WHY ’S E I LOVE MY WIFE AND MY WIFE IS BI. BI WIFE ENERGY, HE HAS BI WIFE ENERGY!”?3.  FROGS ARE CUTEFROGS ARE SMALL, UALLY GREEN, AND PERMANENTLY LOOK LIKE THEY’RE GIVG A TOOTHLS SE WHILE STARG RIGHT AT YOU. EVERYONE LOV CUTE THGS AND THAT CLUS LGBTQ+ PEOPLE, MYSELF AMONG THEM. IN IMAGE MACRO MEM, OGS SERVE AS ACCSIBLE, VERSATILE, AND CUTE CHARACTERS AND INS TO SPCE UP LLAG OR ILLTRATE SCENARS. FOR QUEER PEOPLE WHO EMBRACE CHILDISH FASHN AND ATHETICS, OGS ARE THE PERFECT SYMBOL TO EMBROIR ONTO CLOTHG OR TO DRS UP AS. ADDNALLY, OBSSNS WH AMPHIBIANS HIGHLIGHT OVERLAPS BETWEEN LGBTQ+ AND NERD CULTURE AS TURNS OUT PLENTY OF THE KIDS WHO SPENT THEIR TIME TCHG TADPOL AND MEMORIZG OG FACTS ARE NOW QUEER ADULTS. AS A IEND POTED OUT TO ME, OGS N BE CLASSIFIED AS “TRASH ANIMALS” (OR AT LEAST SEMI-TRASHY ANIMALS) ALONG WH RATS, POSSUMS, RACONS, AND SNAILS. THE ANIMALS ARE OFTEN CHARACTERIZED BY HUMANS AS UNWANTED AND GROSS, EVEN WHEN MANY OF THEM PLAY SENTIAL ELOGIL ROL. “SOGGYRE” AND “SWAMPRE'' ARE NICHE TUMBLR/TER ATHETICS THAT ROMANTICIZE TRASH ANIMALS. THEY ALSO TERSECT WH FROGRE AND COTTAGERE. THE OVERLAP BETWEEN THE NICHE ATHETIC FANDOMS, MANY OF WHICH OBSS OVER TY OGS, AND LGBTQ+ TER CULTURE N LIKELY BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE TREND OF QUEER MUNY BUILDG ONLE AND THE SIGNIFINCE OF TUMBLR AS A HUB FOR YOUNG LGBTQ+ PEOPLE TO EXPLORE THEIR INTI. FROGS, WHICH TEND TO LIVE GOOPY ENVIRONMENTS AND ARE SLIMY, DON’T F CLASSIC MOLDS OF FUZZY AND CUTE SMALL MAMMALS. GARBAGE/SWAMPY ANIMALS SEEM TO HAVE A FUN, GRIMY JE NE SAIS QUOI THAT, ACRDG TO THEM TWEETS, INSTAGRAM MEM, AND TIKTOKS, QUE A FEW QUEER PEOPLE RELATE TO. WHY QUEER PEOPLE INTIFY WH (AND KEEP AS PETS) ANIMALS THAT, WHILE CUTE, ARE OFTEN EXCLUD OM MASTREAM TEGORI OF CUTENS IS AN VTIGATN FOR ANOTHER DAY. THERE DON’T SEEM TO BE MANY BLOGIL, ELOGIL, OR METAPHORIL ELEMENTS OF THE GAY OGS NVERSATN AND ALEX JON’ CLAIMS THAT “THE MAJORY OF OGS MOST AREAS OF THE UNED STAT ARE NOW GAY,” REMA UNSUBSTANTIATED. THERE ULD BE SOME APT ALLNS TO THE METAMORPHOSIS OGS UNRGO OM EGG TO TADPOLE TO FULL-GROWN OG TO THE EXPERIENC OF LGBTQ+ PEOPLE. FROGS HAVE ALSO BEEN KNOWN TO CHANGE THEIR SEX OR “ADJT THEIR SEXUAL STY” THE WILD. HOWEVER, MOST QUEER OG MEM FOC MORE ON THE LOOK AND RAS OF OGS RATHER THAN THEIR NATURAL BEHAVR OR MATG PATTERNS. OTHER THAN BEG CUTE, OGS UNNIABLY HAVE GAY VIB. THIS IS A “CHICKEN OR THE EGG” SCENAR WHERE I DON’T KNOW IF OGS HAVE GAY VIB BEE PEOPLE CID AS MUCH OR IF PEOPLE PICT THEM AS GAY INS BEE OF THEIR TRSIC QUEER VIB (OR ALEX JON SIGNATN). EHER WAY, A MON THEME I’VE SEEN SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ABOUT OGS IS THAT OGS JT HAVE GAY ENERGY. THIS FS WH THE PROLIFERATN OF MEM THAT CHARACTERIZE ANIMATE OBJECTS, FICTNAL CHARACTERS, AND STRAIGHT CELEBRI AS EXUDG SOME KD OF GAY ENERGY FOR UNSPECIFIED REASONS. WHILE THERE MIGHT NOT BE MUCH ABOUT OGS THAT’S HERENTLY QUEER, THE PROLIFERATN OF MEM ABOUT THEM BEG LGBTQ+ INS IS WHAT I BELIEVE MAK THEM TO QUEER INS. “FROGS ARE NONILLY QUEER” IS AN IA THAT HELPS PEOPLE EXPRS THEMSELV, AND IS ALSO SILLY ENOUGH THAT ANYONE WHO GETS MAD AT THE NOTN ENDS UP LOOKG FOOLISH AND OVERVTED. MEM HAVE THE POWER TO SOLIDIFY IAS POPULAR IMAGATN. THE WAY RMATN FLOWS THROUGH THE TER N TURN AMG, ARBRARY IAS TO NSENS.AS WE SEE A RISE QUANTY AND QUALY OF LGBTQ+ REPRENTATN MEDIA, QUEER PEOPLE ARE STILL FDG THEIR OWN INS, HERO, AND STARS MEME AND TER CULTURE. FROGS MAY BE A SILLY CHOICE, BUT THERE’S MUCH ROOM FOR SILLS WHEN TO QUEER INS AND WHEN TO THE TER. THE PREVALENCE OF OG-RELATED QUEER NTENT AND QUEER-RELATED OG NTENT HIGHLIGHTS THE POWER OF OGS AS SYMBOLS AND THE FLUENCE OF LGBTQ+ PEOPLE ON THE TER TO CLAIM A MON ANIMAL AS A MORN-DAY QUEER IN. ELSEWHERE…

SYMBOLS OF GAY AND LBIAN CULTURE

DefnLGBTQ+ SymbolsIn the past, and currently some untri to this day, LGBTQ+ people me up wh many vert ways such as ems of clothg, accsori, slang, styl, or small tattoos that uld easily be vered up to signal to each other that they were part of the gay muny.

Rabows and unirns are so trsilly lked (the associatn is also a Victorian ventn) that, unsurprisgly, the magic creature started to appear on T-shirts and banners at Gay Pri around the world, wh slogans such as 'Genr is Imagary' or 'Totally Straight' emblazoned unr sparklg rabow unirns. ”“Wh all of the black and brown activism that’s worked to addrs racism the Gayborhood over the past year, I thk the new flag is a great step for the cy to show the world that they’re workg toward fully supportg all members of our muny, ” the statement ntued.

Bear pri flagThe bear pri flag celebrat a subculture of the LGBTQ muny that refers to gay or bisexual men who have facial and/or body hair and embrace fortably wh masculy and their bodi, acrdg to Montclair State Universy. Tradnal Gay Pri Flag (Image cred: Getty Imag/Norberto Cuen)This is probably the flag you'll see most often: Six lors, apparently easier to produce than the odd-numbered seven (although other reports say was more about makg the flag easier for paras and to hang on posts). But the "leather flag, " created by Tony DeBlase 1989, is a symbol of that muny (which clus many gay men)—black may symbolize leather, whe is pury, blue is votn, and the heart is Brotherhood Flag(Image cred: Getty Imag/grebhkovmaxim)Craig Byrn and Pl Wzkoske 1995 ma the "bear flag" for "a subculture of mascule-prentg gay, bisexual and trans men who embrace facial and body hair and may have larger bodi.

THE SECRET GAY HISTORY OF TATTOOS AND THEIR HIDN MEANGSJAM BANVALLE·FOLLOW11 M READ·AUG 25, 2018--LISTENSHAREDID YOU KNOW RSIAN CRIMALS THE 1950S HAD A SECRET TATTOO TO INTIFY GAY PEOPLE?THE LGBTI MUNY HAS A LONG AND VARIED HISTORY WH TATTOOS.IN A TIME WHEN WAS ILLEGAL TO BE OUT AND PROUD WTERN CULTURE, MANY LGBTI PEOPLE GOT TATTOOS TO NVEY SECRET MSAG OR AS AN ACT OF FIANCE TO THORY.THE DAYS, TATTOOS AND LGBTI CULTURE GO HAND HAND AND ’S A TREND THAT’S ON THE RISE.BUT WHERE DID ALL BEG AND WHAT DO THE HIDN MEANGS SIGNIFY?‘BAD BOYS AND TOUGH TATTOOS’ACRDG TO FAMO GAY TATTOOIST SAMUEL STEWARD (ALSO KNOWN AS PHIL SPARROW), THE GAY MUNY PARTICULAR REALLY BEGAN EMBRACG TATTOOS THE 1950S.STEWARD WAS BORN 1909 AND LED MANY VARIED ROL LIFE, CLUDG A PROFSOR AT A ROMAN CATHOLIC UNIVERSY AND AN THOR OF GAY PULP FICTN.HE WAS ALSO THE OFFICIAL TATTOO ARTIST FOR THE MOTORCYCLE CLUB, THE HELLS ANGELS OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.STEWARD PUBLISHED HIS THOUGHTS ON GAY MEN GETTG TATTOOS HIS 1990 BOOK BAD BOYS & TOUGH TATTOOS: A SOCIAL HISTORY OF THE TATTOO WH GANGS, SAILORS, AND STREET-CORNER PUNKS.STEWARD SAID: ‘ONE CHANGE, HOWEVER, ME ABOUT THE HOMOSEXUAL ATTU TOWARDS TATTOOS AROUND 1954.’HE NTUED: ‘FOLLOWG THE NATNAL RELEASE OF THE MOVIE THE WILD ONE WH MARLON BRANDO; THE ORIGAL MOTORCYCLE FILM, SEEMED TO CRYSTALLIZE OR RELEASE, THE OBSCURE AND LONG-HIDN FEELGS OF MANY HOMOSEXUALS.’STEWARD BELIEV TATTOOS BEME A SYMBOL OF MASCULY FOR GAY MEN, CLOSELY TIED WH THE GAY LEATHER MUNY.HE SAID: ‘I WAS OVERWHELMED BY THE SUDN APPEARANCE OF SO MANY OF THE FIGUR… AS THE IMPULSE OF MANY HOMOSEXUALS TO BE NSIRED MORE MASCULE — BY THE ADDN OF A TATTOO — GREW STRONGER.’THERE ARE ALSO EXAMPL OF LBIANS THE 1940S AND 50S LERALLY WEARG THEIR SEXUALY ON THEIR SLEEVE BY GETTG A PARTICULAR TATTOO (BUT MORE ON THAT LATER).HERE ARE THE MOST MON LGBTI-SPIRED TATTOOS AND WHAT MEANS TO THE PEOPLE WHO GOT THEM.NOTE: IF SOMEONE HAS ONE OF THE TATTOOS, DO NOT MEAN THEY TOMATILLY INTIFY WH THE EXPLANATNS BELOW1. PK TRIANGLE TATTOOIN NAZI GERMANY THE MID-1940S, GAY PRISONERS NCENTRATN MPS WERE FORCED TO WEARG PK TRIANGL AS A BADGE OF SHAME.IN FACT, ONE SCHOLAR SAYS THE GAY PRISONERS WERE THE ‘LOWT OF THE LOW’ THE HIERARCHY OF THE NCENTRATN MPS.NAZIS TORTURED THE GAY PRISONERS BY STRATG SOME OF THEM AND SODOMIZG THEM WH EMS LIKE BROOMSTICKS. THEY ALSO PERFORMED DANGERO EXPERIMENTS ON THEM TO FD CUR FOR TYPH FEVER AND HOMOSEXUALY.ACRDG TO TIMATNS, BETWEEN 5,000 AND 15,000 GAY PEOPLE DIED GERMAN NCENTRATN MPS.WHEN EYE WNS ACUNTS AND PERSONAL TTIMONI EMERGED SEVERAL S LATER, LGBTI ACTIVISTS BEGAN RECLAIMG THE SYMBOL.THE EARLIT ACUNTS AMERI DATE BACK TO 1977, WHERE LGBTI ACTIVISTS MIAMI PNED PK TRIANGL TO THEIR CLOTH TO PROTT HOG DISCRIMATN.IN THE EARLY 80S, ANIZATN ACT-UP ED THE PK TRIANGLE TO TRY TO RAISE AWARENS THE MIDST OF THE AIDS CRISIS.INSTEAD OF G THE UPSI DOWN TRIANGLE — AS THE NAZIS DID — ACTIVIST AVRAM FKELSTE ME UP WH G THE RIGHT WAY UP.THE ANIZATN ED ARGUABLY S MOST FAMO MPAIGN POSTER: SILENCE = DEATH.SCE THEN, ACTIVISTS HAVE ED THE SYMBOL VAR MPAIGNS SCE, CLUDG PROTTS LAST YEAR OVER NCENTRATN MPS CHECHNYA.THE SYMBOL WENT OM BEG A BADGE OF SHAME, TO A SYMBOL OF PRI.HOW LGBTI PEOPLE RECLAIMED THE PK TRIANGLEMANY LGBTI PEOPLE NOW PROUDLY SHOW OFF THEIR TATTOO PK TRIANGL.‘I GOT AFTER THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB SHOOTG FLORIDA,’ NICK MCGLYNN TOLD GAY STAR NEWS. ‘AT THE TIME, REALLY BROUGHT HOME THE PHYSIL VLENCE THAT’S STILL DIRECTED AT QUEER PEOPLE.‘I WAS ANGRY AND I WANTED TO HAVE MY QUEERNS PERMANENTLY WRTEN ON MY BODY AS A “FUCK YOU” TO THE FEAR OF BEG VISIBLY QUEER PUBLIC,’ HE SAID.MCGLYNN IS A TEACHER AND SAYS HIS PK TRIANGLE TATTOO ISN’T AS OBVLY GAY AS A RABOW FLAG, SO HIS STUNTS OFTEN ASK HIM ABOUT .‘IT GIV ME AN OPPORTUNY TO SAY OUT LOUD PUBLIC THAT I’M A GAY MAN,’ HE SAID.GREG BAILLIE GOT HIS PK TRIANGLE TATTOO ON HIS WRIST SO HE N HI UNR HIS WATCH IF HE EVER FEELS UNSAFE.HE SAID: ‘I GOT TO FEEL LIKE PART OF A MUNY WHILST REMEMBERG THE HORROR THAT HAD BEFTED SOME THAT HAD WENT BEFORE.JEFF INGOLD WANTED TO MAKE HIS TRIANGLE TATTOO SPECIAL SO HE GOT A TRIANGLE OUTLE, WH THE DATE HE ME OUT THE MIDDLE.HE SAID: ‘I GOT THIS TATTOO TO REMEMBER ALL THOSE WHO ME BEFORE ME, WHO FOUGHT AND DIED FOR OUR RIGHTS AND ALSO, TO PLACE MYSELF THAT HISTORY.’INGOLD NTUED: ‘ALONG WH THAT, MY DAD ONCE TOLD ME HE WISHED I DIDN’T WEAR MY SEXUALY ON MY SLEEVE SO MUCH.’SO HE GOT ON HIS ARM FIANCE.‘THIS IS WHO I AM, THIS IS MY HISTORY AND I WON’T BE ASHAMED OF SHOWG OFF,’ HE ADD.BISEXUAL PEOPLE ALSO HAVE A VERSN OF THE PK TRIANGLE WH A BLUE TRIANGLE LKED.2. NTIL STAR TATTOOIN THE LATE 1940S AND 50S, SOME LBIANS GOT A NTIL STAR TATTOOED ON THEIR WRIST AS A SIGNAL TO OTHER LBIANS.MALE D. DAVIS AND ELIZABETH LAPOVSKY KENNEDY’S 1993 BOOK BOOTS OF LEATHER, SLIPPERS OF GOLD: THE HISTORY OF A LBIAN COMMUNY EXPLAS THE PHENOMENON.THEY EXPLAED: ‘THE CULTURAL PH TO BE INTIFIED AS LBIANS — OR AT LEAST DIFFERENT — ALL THE TIME WAS SO POWERFUL THAT GENERATED A NEW FORM OF INTIFITN AMONG THE TOUGH BAR LBIANS: A STAR TATTOO ON THE TOP OF THE WRIST, WHICH WAS UALLY VERED BY A WATCH.‘THIS WAS THE FIRST SYMBOL OF MUNY INTY THAT DID NOT RELY ON BUTCH-FEM IMAGERY,’ THEY WROTE.KENNEDY AND DAVIS ALSO SAID THE LOL POLICE BUFFALO, NEW YORK KNEW ABOUT THE PRACTISE, SO WAS VERY RISKY.POLICE HAD A LIST OF NAM OF KNOWN LBIANS. FOR THIS REASON, THE TATTOO WAS ALWAYS ON THE WRIST WHERE ULD HI BEHD A WRISTWATCH.THE NTIL STAR IS NOW HUGELY POPULAR AMONG LGBTI PEOPLE, CLUDG A LOT OF GAY PORN STARS.AS WELL AS BEG A MON TATTOO FOR SAILORS ( SYMBOLIZ SAILORS TRYG TO FD THEIR WAY HOME), THE NTIL STAR ALSO POTS TO PROSTUTN SOME CIRCL.3. SRPN/BHAZARD TATTOOIN 2011, CNN PUBLISHED A PIECE OM A GAY MAN WHO IS HIV+.IN THE PIECE, MICHAEL LEE HOWARD SAYS HE GOT THE BHAZARD SYMBOL ON HIS RIGHT ARM AND THE RADIATN SYMBOL ON HIS LEFT TO DITE THAT HE’S LIVG WH HIV.AFTER HIS DIAGNOSIS 2005, HOWARD SAID HE GOT THE TATTOOS TO HELP HIM ON HIS JOURNEY OF SELF-ACCEPTANCE.HE SAID: ‘IT’S A BRANDG OF WHO I AM, AND ’S A BRANDG OF BEG FORTABLE WH THAT, BEG FORTABLE WH WHO I AM.’ANOTHER TATTOO LISTED THE ARTICLE AS A SIGNIFIER FOR SOMEONE LIVG WH HIV IS THE SRPN. THIS ONE IS MORE TRICKY BEE THE SRPN TATTOO IS ALSO CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WH ASTROLOGY.GAY MAN WILLIAM CONLEY SAID HE ALSO KNOWS 45–60 OTHERS WHO GOT THE BHAZARD AND SRPN SYMBOLS TATTOOED ON THEIR BODY.IN RPONSE TO THE ARTICLE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF GMFA MATTHEW HODSON WARNED WAS ONLY A SMALL MORY OF GAY MEN GETTG THE TATTOOS.HE SAID: ‘THE PROBLEM WH ANY D REFERENCE TO HIV STAT IS THAT MAY NOT BE UNIVERSALLY UNRSTOOD, SO EVEN IF YOU HAVE A GREAT BIG B-HAZARD TATTOO ACROSS YOUR BUTT-CHEEKS, DON’T NECSARILY MEAN THAT EVERYONE YOU HAVE SEX WH IS GOG TO UNRSTAND WHAT MEANS.‘MOST PEOPLE WH HIV DON’T TELL ALL OF THEIR SEXUAL PARTNERS.‘AND ALTHOUGH SOME GAY MEN CHOOSE TO K THEIR STAT, FIERCE AND UNAPOLOGETIC, ON THEIR SK, THE MAJORY OF DON’T,’ HE SAID.4. ARM BAND TATTOOWHILE SOME PEOPLE MIGHT JT LIKE THE LOOK OF ARM BAND TATTOOS, OTHERS GET THEM TO LET THE WORLD KNOW THEY ENJOY ANAL FISTG.ALEXIS GARCIA TOLD GAY STAR NEWS HE GOT HIS DOUBLE ARM BAND TATTOO ‘TO STAND FOR EQUALY’.HE HAD NO IA ABOUT THE DOUBLE MEANG BEHD THE TATTOO BUT SAID: ‘IT’S IMPORTANT TO ME AS MEANS EQUALY.’KIERAN EVANS SAID HE ALSO DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE DOUBLE MEANG UNTIL AFTER HE GOT DONE. HE HAS MULTIPLE BANDS ON HIS ARM TO REPRENT A MEMBER OF HIS FAY.HE SAID: ‘WHEN I WALK TO A ROOM OF GAYS WEARG A SHORT SLEEVED SHIRT, ONE OF TWO THGS GO THROUGH MY HEAD; I’M EHER LOOKG CUTE AS HELL OR THEY THK I LIKE TO GET MY HANDS DIRTY.’HE’S ACTUALLY HAD GAY MEN ASK HIM ABOUT THE DOUBLE MEANG BEFORE.EVANS SAID: ‘THIS ONE TIME AT A HOOKUP, THE GUY ASKED IF I DID PORN. A FEW YEARS LATER, I THEN REALISED WHY HE ASKED BEE A LOT OF PORN STARTS HAVE BAND TATTOOS AS WELL.’SOME PEOPLE MIGHT ALSO GET THIS TATTOO TO SYMBOLIZE THE EQUALS SIGN.5. EY TATTOORSIAN CRIMAL TATTOOS HAVE A LONG LIST OF HIDN MEANGS.IN SOVIET UNN PRISONS, THERE WAS A STRONG CULTURE OF TATTOOS BEG ED TO DITE A PERSON’S CRIMAL REER AND RANK. IT DIFFERENTIATED WHO WERE CRIMAL EL AND WHO WERE POLIL PRISONERS.THE PRACTICE STARTED AROUND 1930, GREW TO PROMENCE THE 50S AND DIED DOWN BY THE 80S.SOME PROMENT SYMBOLS CLU STAR TATTOOS (DITG THORY), SKULL (DITG MURR), CROSS (A TRADNAL ‘THIEV CROSS’) AND BELLS (DITG A LONG SENTENCE WH NO CHANCE OF EARLY RELEASE).BUT THERE ARE SOME GAY SYMBOLS TOO, LIKE THE EY TATTOO. WHEN TATTOOED ON THE LOWER STOMACH, MEANS THE PERSON IS GAY. THE PENIS SYMBOLIZ A NOSE, WH THE TWO EY ABOVE WATCHG.MOST OF THE TATTOOS SYMBOLIZG BEG GAY WERE FORCED ONTO PEOPLE AS A WAY TO SHAME THEM.FOR EXAMPLE, A SNAKE ENTWED WH A WOMAN DIT A ‘PASSIVE HOMOSEXUAL’ — PECIALLY TATTOOED ON THE BACK.BETY MARKS BENEATH THE EY ALSO DITE A ‘PASSIVE HOMOSEXUAL’, AS WELL AS RED SUS RDS (DIAMONDS OR HEARTS) ON A PRISONER’S BACK.6. EQUALS SIGN TATTOOTHIS ONE’S FAIRLY SELF-EXPLANATORY BUT ’S WORTH MENTNG.THE RED EQUALS SIGN ROSE TO PROMENCE 2013 WHEN THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN ED TO URGE PEOPLE TO SUPPORT MARRIAGE EQUALY THE UNED STAT.A SEA OF THE EQUALS SIGNS FLOOD SOCIAL MEDIA AND EFFECTIVELY GOT THE NVERSATN FLOWG ABOUT LGBTI RIGHTS.AS A RULT, MANY PEOPLE GOT LTLE PARALLEL LE TATTOOS ON THEIR BODY TO SYMBOLIZE EQUALY.SARAH EBA TOLD GAY STAR NEWS: ‘I GOT TWO YEARS AGO RIGHT AFTER I ME OUT TO MY GRANDMA AND SHE DIDN’T APPROVE BEE SHE DIDN’T THK EQUALY FOR GAYS SHOULD BE THE SAME FOR STRAIGHT PEOPLE.‘IT PISSED ME OFF SO I GOT THE TATTOO AND SHOWED HER. BUT NOW I LOVE AND REMDS ME OF WHO I AM EVERY TIME I SEE ,’ SHE SAID.JAM BAKER SAID HE GOT HIS EQUALS SIGN TATTOO A FEW YEARS BACK, BUT WANTED THE UPSI TRIANGLE TOO.HE EXPLAED: ‘I’M NOT SOMEONE WHO YOU WOULD STANTLY REGNISE AS LGBTI.‘GOG THROUGH UNIVERSY AND NOW PLAYG FOR A GAY FOOTBALL TEAM LONDON, I WANTED TO SHOW THAT I WAS PROUD AFTER NOT BEG NFINT WHEN I WAS YOUNGER,’ HE SAID.DURG THE 1960S, LBIAN FEMISTS ADOPTED THE LABRYS TATTOO AS A SYMBOL OF STRENGTH AND PENNCE.THE LABRYS, OR DOUBLE-BLAD BATTLE AXE, IS ASSOCIATED WH ANCIENT MATRIARCHAL SOCIETI, THE AMAZONS AND THE GREEK GODSS DEMETER.IN THE MOAN CIVILIZATN (LASTG OM AROUND 3,000 TO 1,100 BCE), THE SOCIETY AT THE TIME WAS PREDOMATELY MATRIARCHAL.THEIR RELIGN CENTERED AROUND A BARE-BREASTED GREAT GODSS WHO IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN A PROTECTOR OF WOMEN.THIS GODSS IS OFTEN PORTRAYED AS HOLDG SNAK HER HANDS — A SYMBOL OF FERTILY AND AGRICULTURE — AND SURROUND BY FEMALE WORSHIPPERS WH DOUBLE AX.IT REPRENTS A SYMBOL OF POWER.THE SYMBOL SOMETIM APPEARS AGAST A VLET BACKGROUND (A MONLY ACKNOWLEDGED SAPPHIC LOR) AND AN UPSI DOWN TRIANGLE.IN KYRGYZSTAN, THERE’S EVEN AN LGBTI RIGHTS ANIZATN LLED LABRYS.UNFORTUNATELY SOME TRANS-EXCLNARY RADIL FEMISTS (TERFS) HAVE -OPTED THE SYMBOL RECENT YEARS.8. LAMBDA TATTOOLAMBDA IS THE 11TH LETTER OF THE GREEK ALPHABET.THE GAY ACTIVIST ALLIANCE SELECTED THE SYMBOL TO REPRENT THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT 1970. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TERPRETATNS OF THE SYMBOL, CLUDG STANDG FOR ‘LIBERATN’. IT’S ALSO THE PHYSICS SYMBOL FOR ENERGY.ALAN MEGGS GOT HIS LAMBDA TATTOO THE EARLY 90S AT FRH ST TATTOOS LONDON.HE GOT BEE HE WANTED ‘SOMETHG LS EASILY REGNIZABLE THAN THE PK TRIANGLE SO PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TO ASK ME ABOUT .’MEGGS TOLD GAY STAR NEWS: ‘IT FEELS MORE POLIL — LS MASTREAM. MY OWN LTLE ACT OF REBELLN.‘IT REMDS ME OF OUR PAST AND THE BATTL THAT HAVE BEEN WON TO BE ACCEPTED TO MASTREAM SOCIETY. AND REMDS ME WE STILL HAVE A FAIR WAY TO GO.‘WE SHOULD NTUE TO WALK THE FOOTPRTS OF THE PEOPLE WHO FOUGHT THE LAWS AND PREJUDIC OF THE LATE 60S AND EARLY 70S AND NO BE PLACENT. IT’S PART OF MY GAY HISTORY,’ HE SAID.9. CIRCLE TATTOOSOME TERSEX PEOPLE MAY PROUDLY GET A CIRCLE TATTOO.ORGANISATN INTERSEX INTERNATNAL (OII) ATRALIA CREATED THE TERSEX PRI FLAG 2013. THE YELLOW BACKGROUND AND PURPLE CIRCLE REPRENT ‘HERMAPHRODE’ LORS.ACRDG TO THE WEBSE: ‘THE CIRCLE IS UNBROKEN AND UNORNAMENTED, SYMBOLIZG WHOLENS AND PLETENS.‘WE ARE STILL FIGHTG FOR BODILY TONOMY AND GENAL TEGRY, AND THIS SYMBOLIZ THE RIGHT TO BE WHO AND HOW WE WANT TO BE,’ THE WEBSE STAT.10. WHATEVER YOU WANT TO BE!LGBTI PEOPLE N GET A MYRIAD OF TATTOOS THAT REPRENT THEIR GENR INTY OR SEXUALY.JAM STANNAH SAID HE WANTED SOMETHG SUPER GAY SO HE GOT TWO TOM OF FLAND-SPIRED MEN KISSG.HE SAID: ‘I WANTED SOMETHG THAT WAS ACTUALLY SO OBVLY GAY AND A LTLE SHOCKG TO LOOK AT.‘[IT] IS SUCH AN OPEN DISPLAY OF SENTIALLY HOW PROUD I AM THAT I’M GAY.‘IT’S ALSO A B OF A FUCK YOU. I BASILLY AM NOW RTRICTED OM TAKG MY TOP OFF QUE A FEW UNTRI WORLDWI FOR FEAR OF ARRT. BUT ’S ALSO A B OF A MIDDLE FGER TO ALL OF THAT AS WELL,’ HE SAID.CANDICE ARMAH INTIFI AS NON-BARY AND SAW A TATTOO BY ARTIST JULIM ROSA ON SOCIAL MEDIA WH THE WORD ‘GENR’ A DISTORTED SIGN.ARMAH EXPLAED: ‘WARPED AND WAVY WORDS SEEMED TO F HOW I FELT AND STILL FEEL ABOUT THE GENR BARY. I WANTED MY OWN VERSN TO KEEP WH ME SO ASKED HER TO DRAW SOME MOCK-UPS.‘I LOVED THE RULT,’ THEY ADD.ALEXAVIER TAIGA WANTED SOMETHG SPECIAL AS A NOD TO HIS TRANS INTY. SO HE GOT A QUOTE OM CHRIS COLFER’S BOOK STCK BY LIGHTG.THE BOOK IS ABOUT A GUY WHO WANTS TO LEAVE HIS NSERVATIVE TOWN.TAIGA SAID: ‘I LOVE THE QUOTE BEE I E OM A NSERVATIVE SMALL TOWN. BUT HAS EXTRA MEANG FOR ME BEE I’M A TRANS GUY.‘I GOT THE TATTOO BEFORE G OUT TO ANYONE,’ HE SAID.HE’S CURRENTLY 12 MONTHS ON TTOSTERONE AND HE’LL GET THE OTHER HALF OF THE QUOTE AFTER HIS TOP SURGERY SOON.THE SEND HALF OF THE QUOTE IS ‘ONCE THERE WAS A BOY WHO FLEW’.ERIK LULILIAN WANTED TO FEATURE TRIANGL AND A BIRD TO SYMBOLIZE ‘EEDOM’ AND AS AN HOMAGE TO HIS QUEER INTY.HE SAID: ‘I THK TATTOOS THEIR OWN RIGHT ARE A KD OF RECLAMATN OF OUR BODI.‘SO MANY QUEER PEOPLE GREW UP HOEHOLDS [THAT] SENT MSAG THAT OUR BODI ARE NOT OUR OWN. IT TAK A LOT OF NER WORK TO UNDO THAT MDSET.‘MY TATTOOS, THAT WAY, ARE AN OUTWARD EXPRSN AND CELEBRATN OF MY LIBERATN,’ HE SAID.SEE ALSO

LambdaThe greek letter lambda was origally ed as the symbol of the Gay Activists Alliance of New York 1970 and 1974 was officially adopted as the symbol of gay and lbian rights by the Internatnal Gay Rights Congrs Edburgh, Stland. GAA lerature stat that Doerr chose the symbol for s meang chemistry and physics: "a plete exchange of energy – that moment or span of time wns to absolute activy" lambda beme associated wh Gay Liberatn and later regnised as an LGBT symbol, beg ed as such by the Internatnal Gay Rights Congrs Edburgh, the gay rights anisatn Lambda Legal, and the Lambda Lerary Foundatn, among others. The labrys lbian flag was created 1999 by graphic signer Sean Campbell, and published June 2000 the Palm Sprgs edn of the Gay and Lbian Tim Pri issue as a symbol of strength and sign volv a labrys superimposed on an verted black triangle, set agast a vlet background.

This term was reclaimed as the name of a lbian femist movement, and eventually the labrys flag was adopted as a symbol of empowerment as gay women ma their own femist ancient Crete, the labrys only acpanied female godss5.

GRDR LNCH CTOM GAY EMOJIS AND THEY’RE AS FILTHY AS YOU’D EXPECT

The Greek letter lambda was origally ed as the symbol of the Gay Activists Alliance of New York 1970 and 1974 was officially adopted as the symbol of gay and lbian rights by the Internatnal Gay Rights Congrs Edburgh, Stland. The pk lor reprents sexual attractn to the same sex only (gay and lbian), the blue reprents sexual attractn to the oppose sex only (straight) and the rultant overlap lor purple reprents sexual attractn to both sex (bi).

The key to unrstandg the symbolism the Bi Pri Flag is to know that the purple pixels of lor blend unnoticeably to both the pk and blue, jt as the 'real world' where most bi people blend unnoticeably to both the gay/lbian and straight muni.

HOW GAY CULTURE BLOSSOMED DURG THE ROARG TWENTI

Page scribed the meang behd his flag as, “The key to unrstandg the symbolism of the Bisexual Pri Flag is to know that purple pixels of lors blend noticeably to both the pk and blue, jt as the ‘real world, ’ where bi people blend unnoticeably to both the gay/lbian and straight muni. The key to unrstandg the symbolism of the Bi Pri Flag is to know that the purple pixels of lor blend unnoticeably to both the pk and blue jt as the "real world" where bi people blend unnoticeably to both the gay/lbian and straight muni.

Steward was born 1909 and led many varied rol life, cludg a profsor at a Roman Catholic universy and an thor of gay pulp was also the official tattoo artist for the motorcycle club, the Hells Angels Oakland, California. ’Steward believ tattoos beme a symbol of masculy for gay men, closely tied wh the gay leather said: ‘I was overwhelmed by the sudn appearance of so many of the figur… as the impulse of many homosexuals to be nsired more mascule — by the addn of a tattoo — grew stronger.

Pk triangle tattooIn Nazi Germany the mid-1940s, gay prisoners ncentratn mps were forced to wearg pk triangl as a badge of fact, one scholar says the gay prisoners were the ‘lowt of the low’ the hierarchy of the ncentratn tortured the gay prisoners by stratg some of them and sodomizg them wh ems like broomsticks. Acrdg to timatns, between 5, 000 and 15, 000 gay people died German ncentratn eye wns acunts and personal ttimoni emerged several s later, LGBTI activists began reclaimg the earlit acunts Ameri date back to 1977, where LGBTI activists Miami pned pk triangl to their cloth to prott hog the early 80s, anizatn ACT-UP ed the pk triangle to try to raise awarens the midst of the AIDS crisis.

WHAT DO THE RABOW MEAN FOR GAYS?

‘It giv me an opportuny to say out loud public that I’m a gay man, ’ he Baillie got his pk triangle tattoo on his wrist so he n hi unr his watch if he ever feels said: ‘I got to feel like part of a muny whilst rememberg the horror that had befted some that had went Ingold wanted to make his triangle tattoo special so he got a triangle outle, wh the date he me out the said: ‘I got this tattoo to remember all those who me before me, who fought and died for our rights and also, to place myself that history. For this reason, the tattoo was always on the wrist where uld hi behd a ntil star is now hugely popular among LGBTI people, cludg a lot of gay porn well as beg a mon tattoo for sailors ( symboliz sailors tryg to fd their way home), the ntil star also pots to prostutn some circl. Srpn/Bhazard tattooIn 2011, CNN published a piece om a gay man who is the piece, Michael Lee Howard says he got the bhazard symbol on his right arm and the radiatn symbol on his left to dite that he’s livg wh his diagnosis 2005, Howard said he got the tattoos to help him on his journey of said: ‘It’s a brandg of who I am, and ’s a brandg of beg fortable wh that, beg fortable wh who I am.

GRDR'S NEW "GAYMOJI" OFFER A WHOLE VOBULARY BEYOND EGGPLANT AND PEACH

This one is more tricky bee the srpn tattoo is also closely associated wh man William Conley said he also knows 45–60 others who got the bhazard and srpn symbols tattooed on their rponse to the article, chief executive of GMFA Matthew Hodson warned was only a small mory of gay men gettg the said: ‘The problem wh any d reference to HIV stat is that may not be universally unrstood, so even if you have a great big b-hazard tattoo across your butt-cheeks, don’t necsarily mean that everyone you have sex wh is gog to unrstand what means. Arm band tattooWhile some people might jt like the look of arm band tattoos, others get them to let the world know they enjoy anal Garcia told Gay Star News he got his double arm band tattoo ‘to stand for equaly’ had no ia about the double meang behd the tattoo but said: ‘It’s important to me as means equaly. He has multiple bands on his arm to reprent a member of his said: ‘When I walk to a room of gays wearg a short sleeved shirt, one of two thgs go through my head; I’m eher lookg cute as hell or they thk I like to get my hands dirty.

It differentiated who were crimal el and who were polil practice started around 1930, grew to promence the 50s and died down by the proment symbols clu star tattoos (ditg thory), skull (ditg murr), cross (a tradnal ‘thiev cross’) and bells (ditg a long sentence wh no chance of early release) there are some gay symbols too, like the ey tattoo. The penis symboliz a nose, wh the two ey above of the tattoos symbolizg beg gay were forced onto people as a way to shame example, a snake entwed wh a woman dit a ‘passive homosexual’ — pecially tattooed on the marks beneath the ey also dite a ‘passive homosexual’, as well as red sus rds (diamonds or hearts) on a prisoner’s back. A sea of the equals signs flood social media and effectively got the nversatn flowg about LGBTI a rult, many people got ltle parallel le tattoos on their body to symbolize Eba told Gay Star News: ‘I got two years ago right after I me out to my grandma and she didn’t approve bee she didn’t thk equaly for gays should be the same for straight people.

GAY WATER — CYNIL, PAT-BY-NUMBERS VIRTUE-SURFG START-UP? OR BEVERAGE INDTRY UNIRN WH GIFT OF GAY RIGHTS?

‘Gog through universy and now playg for a gay football team London, I wanted to show that I was proud after not beg nfint when I was younger, ’ he the 1960s, lbian femists adopted the labrys tattoo as a symbol of strength and labrys, or double-blad battle axe, is associated wh ancient matriarchal societi, the Amazons and the Greek godss the Moan civilizatn (lastg om around 3, 000 to 1, 100 BCE), the society at the time was predomately relign centered around a bare-breasted Great Godss who is believed to have been a protector of godss is often portrayed as holdg snak her hands — a symbol of fertily and agriculture — and surround by female worshippers wh double reprents a symbol of symbol sometim appears agast a vlet background (a monly acknowledged sapphic lor) and an upsi down Kyrgyzstan, there’s even an LGBTI rights anizatn lled Labrys. LGBTI people n get a myriad of tattoos that reprent their genr inty or Stannah said he wanted somethg super gay so he got two Tom of Fland-spired men said: ‘I wanted somethg that was actually so obvly gay and a ltle shockg to look at. The Begngs of a New Gay World“In the late 19th century, there was an creasgly visible prence of genr-non-nformg men who were engaged sexual relatnships wh other men major Amerin ci, ” says Chad Heap, a profsor of Amerin Studi at Gee Washgton Universy and the thor of Slummg: Sexual and Racial Enunters Amerin Nightlife, 1885-1940.

BNETSUBSCRIBESIGN {"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","URL":","MAENTYOFPAGE":","HEADLE":"THE NEWT QUEER IN: FROGS","SCRIPTN":"MONIZED BY ALEX JON, LGBTQ+ MEME MAKERS HAVE EMBRACED AMPHIBIANS AS A MAST","IMAGE":[{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":"}],"DATEPUBLISHED":"2021-05-07T20:40:28+00:00","DATEMODIFIED":"2021-05-07T20:40:28+00:00","ISACCSIBLEFORFREE":TE,"THOR":[{"@TYPE":"PERSON","NAME":"BRIAN FELDMAN","URL":","SCRIPTN":"THE VENTOR OF BLOGGG","INTIFIER":"ER:241258","IMAGE":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","NTENTURL":","THUMBNAILURL":"}}],"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"BNET","URL":","SCRIPTN":"A NEWSLETTER ABOUT THE TER AND PUTERS OR WHATEVER","TERACTNSTATISTIC":{"@TYPE":"INTERACTNCOUNTER","NAME":"SUBSCRIBERS","TERACTNTYPE":","ERINTERACTNCOUNT":1000},"INTIFIER":"PUB:39741"}}SHARE THIS POSTTHE NEWT QUEER IN: COPY LKFACEBOOKEMAILNOTOTHERTHE NEWT QUEER IN: FROGSMONIZED BY ALEX JON, LGBTQ+ MEME MAKERS HAVE EMBRACED AMPHIBIANS AS A MASTBRIAN FELDMANMAY 7, 2021SHAREBY LIZ SOMMERJUDY GARLAND. DIANNA ROSS. CHER. LADY GAGA. TO THIS DAY, THE NCEPT OF A “GAY IN” IS STILL LARGELY REPRENTED BY (OFTEN HETEROSEXUAL) CELEBRY WOMEN WHO EMBODY ELEMENTS OF SEXUALY AND SELFHOOD THAT RONATE WH AT LEAST SOME LGBTQ+ PEOPLE. WHILE THE PHRASE “GAY IN” MAY NNOTE A DIVA WORSHIPPED BY CIS GAY MEN, A WI RANGE OF CELEBRI HAVE BEE OBJECTS OF AFFECTN BY LGBTQ+ PEOPLE.AS THE TER OPENS UP SPACE FOR QUEER PEOPLE TO FAWN OVER, STAN, AND SHAPE THEIR OWN NARRATIV ABOUT THEIR INS, THE PARAMETERS OF WHAT NSTUT ONE ARE EXPANDG. IN ADDN TO THE CLN OF A MORE DIVERSE SET OF PEOPLE, MANY OF WHOM ARE THEMSELV MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ+ MUNY, THE NNON OF QUEER INOGRAPHY ON THE TER HAS AN EVEN WIR SPE. IT NOW CLUS THE GREEN AND BROWN M&MS, MISS PIGGY, ICED FFEE, THE PLANT SECTN AT LOWE’S, AND OGS.PLENTY OF TIKTOK VIOS LIST “THGS THAT AREN’T GAY/QUEER/LGBTQ+ BUT HAVE GAY/QUEER/LGBTQ+ ENERGY.” THEY’RE TYPILLY PRENTED WHOUT EXPLANATN, JT THE STATEMENT THAT ANIMATE OBJECTS, STRAIGHT CELEBRI, STOR, ANIMALS, MOVIE VILLAS, POLIL IOLOGI, ETC., HAVE QUEER VIB. FROGS ARE A RECURRG EM ON THE LISTS. OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO, I’VE NOTICED A STEADY AND GROWG STREAM OF QUEER-RELATED OG NTENT ON THE RNERS OF THE TER I HAB. EXAMPL CLU TWEETS ABOUT BISEXUALS LOVG OGS, OG PRI MERCH SOLD ON ETSY, LBIAN OG MEM, AND A BUILD-A-LGBTQ-OG TUMBLR THREAD. AT FIRST, I DIDN’T THK MUCH OF THIS BEE JT MA SENSE TO ME — THE MORN TER IS PERSONALIZED TO EACH ER. AS A QUEER PERSON WHO VAGUELY LOV OGS, I WASN’T PARTICULARLY SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT THERE WERE OTHER QUEER PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ALSO LOVE OGS. IN EARLY QUARANTE, WHEN I GOT EP TO THE OG-CENTRIC PART OF TIKTOK KNOWN, PREDICTABLY, AS #FROGTOK, HOWEVER, I REALIZED THAT THE NARRATIVE OF OG-LOVG QUEER PEOPLE WAS NOT JT A VAGUE FEELG, BUT AN ACTUAL SORT OF LGBTQ+ TER FANDOM FOR THE AMPHIBIAN. IT’S WORTH NOTG THAT OGS ARE BIG ON THE TER GENERAL. IN ADDN TO PEPE (THE MATT FURIE-CREATED OG -OPTED BY THE ALT-RIGHT WHO IS ABSENT OM MOST OF THE LGBTQ+ OG MEM I’VE ENUNTERED), OGS N BE FOUND WEARG WBOY HATS TIKTOKS, LERALLY JT VIBG, AND A WI RANGE OF JOK, IMAGE MACROS, AND TRENDS WHOUT SPECIFIC NNECTNS TO LGBTQ+ CULTURE.COURTY OF TUMBLR ER QUALIDYKEAS TO POSSIBLE ORIGS OF THE RISE OF OGS AS A QUEER MAST, THERE ARE THREE MAJOR RECURRG THEM. 1. “TURN THE FRICK’ FROGS GAY”IN ONE OF HIS BETTER-KNOWN UNHGED RANTS: THE 2015 “GAY BOMB” SPEECH, ALEX JON FAMOLY TOLD THE INFOWARS DIENCE ABOUT CHEMILS ADD TO WATER “TURNG THE ICK’ OGS GAY.” IN THE ORIGAL CLIP, WHICH, ALONG WH THE RT OF THE INFOWARS LIBRARY HAS BEEN BANNED OM YOUTUBE, JON MENTNS THE GAY OGS AS EVINCE THAT THE UNED STAT ERNMENT HAS BEEN ADDG THE HERBICI ATRAZE TO TAP WATER AS PART OF A PLOT TO SPREAD HOMOSEXUALY, EMASCULATG MEN AND RCG POPULATN GROWTH. THE ACTUAL MENTN OF GAY OGS IS BRIEF, BUT HIS LIVERY IS MEMORABLE. AFTER SAYG “WHAT DO YOU THK TAP WATER IS? IT’S A GAY BOMB, BABY,” JON ATTEMPTS TO EXPLA THAT HE ISN’T SHOCKED BY GAY SEX BEFORE SHARPLY SHIFTG TO YELLG “I DON’T LIKE ‘EM PUTTING CHEMICALS IN THE WATER THAT TURN THE FRICKIN’ FROGS GAY. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?” HE THEN SLAPS THE PAPERS ON HIS SK WH ANOTHER STACK OF PAPERS, GNTG AND ADDG “I’M SICK OF THIS CRAP, I’M SICK OF BEG SOCIAL ENGEERED. IT’S NOT FUNNY!” AFTER THAT, HE OLS DOWN, NOT THAT HE NEEDS THE PAPERS THAT HE’S JT KNOCKED OFF HIS SK, AND APOLOGIZ TO HIS “FAY DIENCE” AND TO J BEFORE CHANGG THE SUBJECT. I’M NOT A REGULAR INFOWARS VIEWER SO I’M NOT SURE HOW EXCEPTNAL THIS CLIP IS, BUT WATCHG AN FAMO PEDDLER OF DANGERO NSPIRACY THEORI ABSOLUTELY LOSE OVER THE POSSIBILY OF CHEMILLY-DUCED GAY OG BEHAVR IS FUN. I IMAGE THAT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE HAD A CUP OR TWO OF THE ALEX JON KOOL-AID, THIS WOULD BE A SER PSA, BUT FOR ANYONE ELSE, ’S A SOLID REMR THAT HIS THEORI ARE PLETELY ABSURD, TO SAY THE LEAST. THIS SOUNDBE HAS BEEN REMIXED TO TCHY CLUBBY MIX THAT N BE FOUND ON 1-HOUR LOOPS ON YOUTUBE AND ON TIKTOK AS VIO SOUNDTRACKS. THEY PRIMARILY FEATURE THE WORDS “GAY” AND “OGS” REPEATED THROUGHOUT, AND HONTLY ARE SOMETHG I’D DANCE TO THE GAY CLUB IF/WHEN THEY EVER OPEN AGA.WHILE AN EMBRACE OF OGS AS GAY INS ULD BE A WAY TO RECLAIM THEM OM ALEX JON’ HOMOPHOBIC NSPIRACY THEORY, I THK S STAYG POWER OM THE NATE SILLS OF SOMEONE BEG SO UPSET BY THE NCEPT OF GAY OGS, AS WELL AS THE TCHS OF THE REMIX THAT JON SPIRED. GAY OGS WOULD BE PRETTY OL, ACTUALLY, AND THEIR EXISTENCE WOULD BE FURTHER REASON FOR LGBTQ+ PEOPLE TO CLAIM THEM AS INS.2. FROG & TOADFROG AND TOAD OF ARNOLD LOBEL’S BOOK SERI ARE GAY PARTNERS. THIS IS WELL DOCUMENTED AND THOUGH LOBEL NEVER OFFICIALLY NFIRMED THIS AS NON, HE DID E OUT TO HIS FAY AS GAY A FEW YEARS AFTER THE FIRST FROG AND TOAD BOOK WAS PUBLISHED. CELEBRATNS OF FROG AND TOAD’S RELATNSHIP ROMANTICIZE THEIR IDYLLIC UNTRY LIFTYLE, AMPLE AMOUNT OF LEISURE TIME, AND FASHN SENSE THAT’S REPLITED BY MANY PRENT-DAY QUEER HUMANS. THERE IS ALSO, OF URSE, SOME RULE 34 (THE TER LE THAT ANY OBJECT, CHARACTER, OR MEDIA ANCHISE IMAGABLE HAS PORN ASSOCIATED WH ) FAN ART OUT THERE PICTG THE UPLE’S SEXUAL RELATNSHIP. THE FROG AND TOAD LIFTYLE EPOMIZ “TTAGERE,” AN TER-BORN SUBCULTURE EMBRACED AS AN PIST FANTASY FOR MANY QUEER PEOPLE, PECIALLY LBIANS AND QUEER WOMEN. COTTAGERE GAED SIGNIFINT TRACTN DURG THE COVID-19 PANMIC AS PEOPLE WHO WERE QUARANTG AND ISOLATG, OFTEN SMALL APARTMENTS, TOOK TO BAKG BREAD, GROWG FOOD OM KCHEN SCRAPS, MAKG THEIR OWN CLOTH, AND GENERALLY EMBRACG DOMTICY. WHILE SOME PARTICIPANTS TTAGERE AND ADJACENT LIFTYL ARE KNOWN AS TRADWIF FOR THEIR ADHERENCE TO NSERVATIVE IALS AND “RETURN TO THE GOOD OLE DAYS” ATTU, MANY LGBTQ+ PEOPLE AND LEFTISTS SEE TTAGERE AS A LANDSPE TO IMAGE A WORLD CENTERED AROUND LOVE, RE, NATURE, AND MUNY.BEYOND JT FROG AND TOAD SPECIFILLY, THE ATHETIC OF OGS GENERAL FS WELL WH FANTASI OF LIVG A BETIFUL TTAGE WH YOUR QUEER PARTNER AND/OR CHOSEN FAY, SURROUND BY OGS, MHROOMS, AND IENDLY ANTHROPOMORPHIZED WOODLAND CREATUR. FROG FUN FACT SI NOTE: KERM ISN’T GAY, BUT HE DID MARRY MISS PIGGY SO ARGUABLY HAS BI WIFE ENERGY (A SEMI-IRONIC TERM ED BY TIKTOK ER @CRGELIZARD TO CHARACTERIZE STRAIGHT MEN WHO ARE OFTEN MISTAKEN AS GAY OR BISEXUAL, BUT WHO ACTUALLY JT LOVE THEIR BISEXUAL WIFE). CAN’T YOU JT IMAGE KERM SGG “WELL, TO BE HONT I’M A HETERO GUY, BUT I REALLY TRY TO BE A GOOD ALLY AND A’T NO SECRET AND I’LL TELL YOU WHY ’S E I LOVE MY WIFE AND MY WIFE IS BI. BI WIFE ENERGY, HE HAS BI WIFE ENERGY!”?3.  FROGS ARE CUTEFROGS ARE SMALL, UALLY GREEN, AND PERMANENTLY LOOK LIKE THEY’RE GIVG A TOOTHLS SE WHILE STARG RIGHT AT YOU. EVERYONE LOV CUTE THGS AND THAT CLUS LGBTQ+ PEOPLE, MYSELF AMONG THEM. IN IMAGE MACRO MEM, OGS SERVE AS ACCSIBLE, VERSATILE, AND CUTE CHARACTERS AND INS TO SPCE UP LLAG OR ILLTRATE SCENARS. FOR QUEER PEOPLE WHO EMBRACE CHILDISH FASHN AND ATHETICS, OGS ARE THE PERFECT SYMBOL TO EMBROIR ONTO CLOTHG OR TO DRS UP AS. ADDNALLY, OBSSNS WH AMPHIBIANS HIGHLIGHT OVERLAPS BETWEEN LGBTQ+ AND NERD CULTURE AS TURNS OUT PLENTY OF THE KIDS WHO SPENT THEIR TIME TCHG TADPOL AND MEMORIZG OG FACTS ARE NOW QUEER ADULTS. AS A IEND POTED OUT TO ME, OGS N BE CLASSIFIED AS “TRASH ANIMALS” (OR AT LEAST SEMI-TRASHY ANIMALS) ALONG WH RATS, POSSUMS, RACONS, AND SNAILS. THE ANIMALS ARE OFTEN CHARACTERIZED BY HUMANS AS UNWANTED AND GROSS, EVEN WHEN MANY OF THEM PLAY SENTIAL ELOGIL ROL. “SOGGYRE” AND “SWAMPRE'' ARE NICHE TUMBLR/TER ATHETICS THAT ROMANTICIZE TRASH ANIMALS. THEY ALSO TERSECT WH FROGRE AND COTTAGERE. THE OVERLAP BETWEEN THE NICHE ATHETIC FANDOMS, MANY OF WHICH OBSS OVER TY OGS, AND LGBTQ+ TER CULTURE N LIKELY BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE TREND OF QUEER MUNY BUILDG ONLE AND THE SIGNIFINCE OF TUMBLR AS A HUB FOR YOUNG LGBTQ+ PEOPLE TO EXPLORE THEIR INTI. FROGS, WHICH TEND TO LIVE GOOPY ENVIRONMENTS AND ARE SLIMY, DON’T F CLASSIC MOLDS OF FUZZY AND CUTE SMALL MAMMALS. GARBAGE/SWAMPY ANIMALS SEEM TO HAVE A FUN, GRIMY JE NE SAIS QUOI THAT, ACRDG TO THEM TWEETS, INSTAGRAM MEM, AND TIKTOKS, QUE A FEW QUEER PEOPLE RELATE TO. WHY QUEER PEOPLE INTIFY WH (AND KEEP AS PETS) ANIMALS THAT, WHILE CUTE, ARE OFTEN EXCLUD OM MASTREAM TEGORI OF CUTENS IS AN VTIGATN FOR ANOTHER DAY. THERE DON’T SEEM TO BE MANY BLOGIL, ELOGIL, OR METAPHORIL ELEMENTS OF THE GAY OGS NVERSATN AND ALEX JON’ CLAIMS THAT “THE MAJORY OF OGS MOST AREAS OF THE UNED STAT ARE NOW GAY,” REMA UNSUBSTANTIATED. THERE ULD BE SOME APT ALLNS TO THE METAMORPHOSIS OGS UNRGO OM EGG TO TADPOLE TO FULL-GROWN OG TO THE EXPERIENC OF LGBTQ+ PEOPLE. FROGS HAVE ALSO BEEN KNOWN TO CHANGE THEIR SEX OR “ADJT THEIR SEXUAL STY” THE WILD. HOWEVER, MOST QUEER OG MEM FOC MORE ON THE LOOK AND RAS OF OGS RATHER THAN THEIR NATURAL BEHAVR OR MATG PATTERNS. OTHER THAN BEG CUTE, OGS UNNIABLY HAVE GAY VIB. THIS IS A “CHICKEN OR THE EGG” SCENAR WHERE I DON’T KNOW IF OGS HAVE GAY VIB BEE PEOPLE CID AS MUCH OR IF PEOPLE PICT THEM AS GAY INS BEE OF THEIR TRSIC QUEER VIB (OR ALEX JON SIGNATN). EHER WAY, A MON THEME I’VE SEEN SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ABOUT OGS IS THAT OGS JT HAVE GAY ENERGY. THIS FS WH THE PROLIFERATN OF MEM THAT CHARACTERIZE ANIMATE OBJECTS, FICTNAL CHARACTERS, AND STRAIGHT CELEBRI AS EXUDG SOME KD OF GAY ENERGY FOR UNSPECIFIED REASONS. WHILE THERE MIGHT NOT BE MUCH ABOUT OGS THAT’S HERENTLY QUEER, THE PROLIFERATN OF MEM ABOUT THEM BEG LGBTQ+ INS IS WHAT I BELIEVE MAK THEM TO QUEER INS. “FROGS ARE NONILLY QUEER” IS AN IA THAT HELPS PEOPLE EXPRS THEMSELV, AND IS ALSO SILLY ENOUGH THAT ANYONE WHO GETS MAD AT THE NOTN ENDS UP LOOKG FOOLISH AND OVERVTED. MEM HAVE THE POWER TO SOLIDIFY IAS POPULAR IMAGATN. THE WAY RMATN FLOWS THROUGH THE TER N TURN AMG, ARBRARY IAS TO NSENS.AS WE SEE A RISE QUANTY AND QUALY OF LGBTQ+ REPRENTATN MEDIA, QUEER PEOPLE ARE STILL FDG THEIR OWN INS, HERO, AND STARS MEME AND TER CULTURE. FROGS MAY BE A SILLY CHOICE, BUT THERE’S MUCH ROOM FOR SILLS WHEN TO QUEER INS AND WHEN TO THE TER. THE PREVALENCE OF OG-RELATED QUEER NTENT AND QUEER-RELATED OG NTENT HIGHLIGHTS THE POWER OF OGS AS SYMBOLS AND THE FLUENCE OF LGBTQ+ PEOPLE ON THE TER TO CLAIM A MON ANIMAL AS A MORN-DAY QUEER IN. ELSEWHERE…

”At the same time, lbian and gay characters were beg featured a slew of popular “pulp” novels, songs and on Broadway stag (cludg the ntroversial 1926 play The Captive) and Hollywood—at least prr to 1934, when the motn picture dtry began enforcg censorship guil, known as the Hays Co. ” By the post-World War II era, a larger cultural shift toward earlier marriage and suburban livg, the advent of TV and the anti-homosexualy csas champned by Joseph McCarthy would help ph the flowerg of gay culture reprented by the Pansy Craze firmly to the natn’s rear-view mirror. God signed the rabow to symbolize somethg far greater and far more glor than homosexualy, and if those the homosexual muny tly unrstood and embraced the symbol they are wavg their hands, they would experience te eedom and peace.