Point 89: The Gay Ear

Lynn Loheide & Margo Dellaquilla

In piercing studios around the country the question is still asked today, “Does one side have any special meaning? You know, what ear is the gay ear?” Despite changing times and modern progress many people still associate piercings—particularly a single piercing in the lobe—as a symbol of one’s sexuality. We’ve all given a little internal eye roll when we have to field this question in our studios and most of us have a carefully prescribed response. any of us may not understand the history of this concept. It’s actually quite fascinating to take a look behind how one specific piercing developed such recognition as a gay symbol.

To find out how an ear piercing could carry such symbolism we need to look back to the ‘70s and ‘80s in America. A different time when it was still perilous to be LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual or allied) and publicly out, and there were no legal or social protections for people who were. Many people lived in fear of losing their jobs, homes, families, or being outright attacked. The AIDs crisis was beginning and both hate and fear concerning anything gay were at an all-time high.

People gathered in secret bars, hung around dark trails in local parks, and used various forms of code based on location to subtly tell people they were gay. These codes were a form of protection, a small way to tell people in-the-know what their preferences were without outing themselves and potentially changing, or even ending, their lives. We, as piercers, generally know and love the hanky code (raise your hand if you own a purple one!) This same philosophy also helped to coin“The Gay Ear”. Born from these codes is a phrase few now remember as familiar, “Left is right and right is wrong” (“wrong” here meaning gay). This cultural phrase spread across communities in an era when piercing was just blossoming. Women were daring to wear second and third earlobe piercings and a particularly rebellious person may pierce their cartilage. This phrase cemented in many minds that the singular right lobe piercing on a man was synonymous with being gay. We can even look at this New York Times article from 19911 that mentions a piercing in the right ear as a “discreet symbol”    of one’s sexuality. We must remember this was a time when discretion was, for some, life or death. Like a game of  telephone,  this  phrase  spread,  and small changes happened along the way. In some areas, it was reversed, and the left ear was  a signifier. Others changed the script  entirely:  both ears could signify one was bi or trans, and a few on one ear had specific meanings in a local scene. As the phrase became  more  widespread  and used as a way of outing folks, some opted to pierce the opposite ear associated in their area to remain hidden. All of this served to muddle the waters until no one  could  agree  which  ear  was, in fact, “the gay ear”.

It wasn’t long before that phrase became lost, and many people forgot which ear meant what, as if any ear ever meant anything. The internet, and even before that the “Ask x” columns and library question cards, were filled with men agonizing over which was the ear they were “supposed” to pierce. How could they wear the adornments they desired while maintaining their heterosexuality; or, perhaps, secretly inquiring which they could pierce to flaunt their homosexuality. Over time the meaning seemed to matter less and less as piercings became more popular and many folks cared not what anyone else thought. Their adornments were for them and them alone. As early as the ‘90s people had forgotten the meaning as piercings were now more about punk rock and youthful rebellion than an underground symbol. Time passed and it became ok to be out. We didn’t need to hide behind antiquated codes or symbols; we could be out and proud!

While discrimination still exists in many shapes and forms, even now in 2020, fortunately, we don’t need to hide as much as we did then. That being said, education and reclamation of what was once used to hurt or oppress us can be a powerful way to stand in the face of discrimination. This is a great piece of history to share with other piercers, clients, and friends, to help remove the stigma and keep our history alive. After all, given our shared history, all piercings are a little bit gay!

Photos of Gauntlet founder and out gay man Jim Ward from issue 24 of Piercing Fans International Quarterly (1985). Jim acquired his first ear piercing in 1969 when the right ear was very much the traditional “gay” ear. Like many gay men of that time, he still opted to pierce the left ear. The initial piercing was a bit low; sometime in Gauntlet’s early years, he did a second one above it for which he designed these unique jewelry pieces. Sadly, they disappeared when Gauntlet closed in 1998. After he moved to San Francisco in the early 1990s, he finally had his right ear pierced.

Point 89: Creating an Inclusive Studio Environment

Vicky shows off their new pronoun knuckle tattoos done by Gerry at Tattoo Zoo

Vicky Ticky Williams

APP Member, Owner Elemental Body Adornment Victoria, BC Canada

Creating a space that is welcoming is extremely important, and, thankfully, not difficult. There are many simple ways you can make your space more accessible to the many clients that would otherwise feel out of place—even if only slightly—in your studio space.

In the case of making your studio more inviting to the LGBTQIA+ community, I would suggest having an area on your waiver where clients can indicate their pronouns. This is a great way to be visibly inclusive. Our waivers have an area clients can circle “he/him”, “she/her”, “they/ them” or they can fill in the blank space offered for other pronouns; for example, “zie/hir”, “xe/xem”, and many more! This helps normalise the process of asking for pronouns and educates the masses that there are more than two options available as a young non-binary person it would have been huge for me to see this!

I recommend avoiding the term “preferred pronouns” as it can delegitimize a person’s gender identity and pronouns to being a preference rather than wholly authentic.

Having a line for the “name you go by” helps to make sure that clients are referred to correctly, for those that have legal dead names (names they no longer associate with) or those that go by nicknames.

Another simple way to help clients feel seen is by having trans and pride flags or stickers proudly displayed. This helps show you are supportive year-round, not only during Pride months!

Point 89: Covid & the Body Art Industry

Perspectives

“… when I can finally go back to work, I am hoping that the balance I’ve learned during this time improves who I am at work and who I am as a piercer. I want to be a healthy and happy employee and practitioner who is focused and pleasant to be around.”

Megan Naito

APP Member, Piercer, Memento Mori Studos Inc. Abbotsford, BC Canada

Writing submitted April 26, 2020

Nobody knows exactly what to expect during a pandemic. However, when isolation began, I never imagined many of the outcomes of my industry-work life.

One of the most surprising results of the pandemic has been rediscovering an identity outside of piercing. Before COVID-19, I spent most of my days working and commuting long distances to and from work. I don’t have a partner or children. After work, I would spend time on industry related tasks such as networking, building a social media presence, and editing piercing photos. Sometimes people don’t even realize how hard it is for them to turn off work mode; I didn’t even realize it was happening.

Obviously, I wasn’t always a piercer. I used to pass the time with many activities that I had forgotten I enjoy. It had been a long time since I read   a book, and it has been refreshing to photograph something that is not a piercing. Sometimes it feels like engaging in activities that don’t directly benefit the industry is unproductive. I have been realizing that this is an unfortunate outlook to have. I think that realizing that I flourish better as an introvert, instead of forcing myself to be an extrovert, will allow me to maximize my potential when the pandemic subsides. I now have a better grasp on what is a healthy balance between industry and non-industry activities (for me). I want to be a well-rounded individual who can integrate with many different types of people.

It will be a long time before things return even remotely back to normal. I worry about what it will be like to source PPE, maintain a plausible amount of social distancing, and if there will be sufficient business. However, when I can finally go back to work, I am hoping that the balance I’ve learned during this time improves who I am at work and who I am as a piercer. I want to be a healthy and happy employee and practitioner who is focused and pleasant to be around.

Annie Patrick Buechlein

Tattoo Kaiju/Annie the Impaler Bloomington, Indiana USA Article submitted April 30, 2020

It was tax time in the piercing industry and all was well. Clients were spending lots of money and leaving big tips. Conference registration had opened up; piercers were buying flights and hotel rooms. Then it struck. Right in the middle of the busy season; Coronavirus (COVID-19) punched all body modification artists right in the face. Total knockout. Studios across the country were forced to close.

People waited for stimulus checks from the government and special business loans. The overwhelming amount of relief applications broke the unemployment website, because it couldn’t handle the traffic. A time of uncertainty, confusion, and stress joined the world together in sadness and fear as we tried to find a “new normal”. Everything was upside down.

As a piercer who has been off work for 45 days at the time of writing this article, how has this changed my life? Well let me tell you…

I am thankful that I procrastinated and didn’t register yet for Conference or my other cross country trip to Colorado. It seems that this flaw paid off for  once.

I am at my home with my husband, Neil, and my children, Jax (age 3) and Memphis (age 13). My older son spends time doing his schoolwork online and does conference calls with his class on Zoom. My toddler screams a lot and runs around like a stir crazy maniac. My husband just tries to hold it together, because he can see that I’m going even more crazy. Our three cats and our dog add their own unique energy.

My time of peace and quiet, and adult interaction that I normally have at my shop are over for now, and it’s very hard for me to accept. I am overwhelmed by the sibling bickering and loud noises without my refuge of work. I enjoy the time with my family, don’t get me wrong, but it is also very overwhelming. The stress of this situation has turned up everyone’s crazy level, especially mine. I miss my clients very much. I miss just being able to “shoot the breeze”, as my grandparents would call it, or just stand around and chit chat with people. I miss hugging people and shaking hands.

I am grateful that I have been able to have the internet to connect with people during this unprecedented time. I have taken several webinar classes and done some continuing education in order to be productive, but to be honest, it’s depressing for me because I know I can’t practice what I’m learning about. I have texted with clients and have been able to do some online jewelry sales, which has helped me continue to be able to pay my bills. I know I’m doing better than many, so maybe I shouldn’t complain, but at the same time, this is not a contest. Everyone in the world is affected by this virus and most have been hurting financially and mentally.

As a person who has always had mental health issues, the uncertainty right now has taken my anxiety to a new level. My career was really looking up. I moved studios and had been at my new location for about seven months. Everything was going great and my business was growing. New clients, better jewelry, more education, new skills, guest spots, traveling, finally being able to take care of my family and be successful in business. The sudden shutdown of that hit me hard with a sense of failure, that I had worked so hard for nothing and it was taken away so quickly.

Some states are beginning to open, but to be honest, I don’t feel that it’s a good idea. I don’t think it’s safe for me to put my fingers in another person’s nose or mouth at this time. I just don’t have enough information, or maybe I should saythat I have too much information. The information is all over the place and I don’t know what to believe. I am overwhelmed by it all. I do know that I’m not alone, which helps. Let me be clear: I don’t want anyone else to have to feel as bad and as stressed out as I feel, but having solidarity with other people and knowing we are all in this together does help. I try to make calls and texts a couple times a week and just check in on others. When I’m having a good day, I call and tell them that their bad day will pass, and good days will come; that their upset mood will also swing back and forth and surely tomorrow will be a better day.

I had a quarantine birthday. I turned 41 years old. I felt like an angry child, because I just wanted to have a party and I couldn’t. I wore a tiara with cat ears and fancy makeup to Walmart; it was pretty exciting. My friend who drives an ambulance rolled up in front of my house and ran the sirens, probably scaring the neighbors to death thinking we had “The ‘Rona”. A friend stood six feet away to watch me open my gift she brought over. I got takeout from my favorite restaurants for three days in a row. I went on an online shopping spree to a new, local plant store and fed my plant addiction. My family took me to a hidden spot at the lake and made me a bonfire. It ended up being a beautiful day and a great celebration regardless. I struggle with change and change is unavoidable right now.

I have had clients call with issues that I couldn’t fix because I couldn’t touch them, which broke my heart. I had a client, who is a CNA, with a fresh lip piercing, get kicked in the mouth by her resident. She needed her jewelry lengthened to accommodate the excessive swelling. I couldn’t get to her to help her because of the quarantine. The jewelry began to embed. I talked her through the painful process of removing the jewelry over the phone. She ended up figuring out how to remove it, but lost the piercing. It made me so upset that I couldn’t help more. I had another client who couldn’t get her jewelry back in after surgery. It should’ve been easy for me to taper the piercings open for her, but I couldn’t because of the virus and now three of her piercings are closed.

I am thankful that my family loves camping and the outdoors, so we already have many supplies for social distancing in nature and outdoor activities. Nature has been my savior during these times. When I really get overwhelmed, going for a walk in the woods or just sitting in the yard helps so much. We have spent quite a bit of time hiking and fishing. We are planning a cross country camping road trip in our family van as soon as we are able. We’re also working on the van and doing home improvement projects and crafts to pass the time.

As for the future, time will tell. The governor of Indiana will address our Stay-At-Home order on Friday, and may or may not open things up. I don’t know what will happen to our businesses on the other side. I do know that things will continue to change. New policies and procedures will need to happen for studios to maintain the safest environments possible. More information will continue to come out and opinions may change, and that’s okay. All I can do is try my best to go with the flow and allow for new beginnings. I look forward to a future of touching my clients again, going inside businesses, and gatherings with friends. I’m most looking forward to spending time with my Grandmother again. Until that day comes, I can’t hug people, but I can hug trees.

Shwayze

Piercer, Superfly Tattoos San Diego, California USA

Writing submitted April 29, 2020

The outbreak of COVID-19 has made me face my taxing mental health head on, as opposed to using work as a form of escape—or more so a pause on waves of self doubt. I finally worked up the courage to reach out to set up guest spot positions and heard back from a few beautiful shops. There were so many things to look forward to, but now our industry is slowed to a trickle.

What will our PPE situation look like upon re-opening? Will clients be able to pay for services since they’ve been displaced from work? What will be the new normal in our industry?

Luckily I’ve been able to attend a few zoom piercing courses offered by wonderful instructors. So it’s not entirely bad, but I CANNOT wait to go back to work. I’m hoping that shops with less than ideal standards see this as an eye opener and step up their safety protocols, and as a whole our industry comes out on top after all of this. Stay safe and wash your hands!

Samantha Jones

Piercer, A Thin Line Tattoo Plainfield, IL USA

Writing submitted April 26, 2020

This whole thing has opened my eyes to so much. I’m not sure when I’ll feel safe enough to go back, or when I do, how long PPE will last and how hard it’s going to be to get more.

I miss doing what I love, but I know it’s going to be months until I can pierce comfortably again. I could say so much more. I love our industry so much.

Marina Pecorino

APP Membership Administrator APP Member

Body Piercing by Bink Tallahassee, FL USA

Article submitted May 5, 2020

In February, during China’s original lockdown, I began watching the coronavirus situation evolve. I’m not generally one to be vigilant about news, but I started intentionally monitoring CDC and WHO updates, as well as a selection of reliable news outlets. Watching the progression of the virus, I grew evermore concerned about PPE supply chains, and the safety of my clients, community, and family. On March 2, I reached out to the managers at the studio where I work about setting up a plan for possible coronavirus closure; the idea seemed unlikely and otherworldly, but I figured the general plan could be revised for other closures, like hurricanes which my area experiences often. In hindsight, I think a plan for closures should become a studio standard, much like needlestick and exposure control plans1. That said, my original expectation was closures of two weeks to a month with selfless cooperation from the general public.

Less than two weeks later, the situation in Italy and Iran quickly went from emerging to dire. I live in north Florida, and Spring Break season at the studio was starting to ramp up. Around this time, the first confirmed cases were being reported in the United States. On a daily basis, I had clients visiting from all over; New York, Massachusetts, Washington, California, and even internationally. I watched the news as these places quickly became epicenters of infection. As I huddled over clients (well within six feet), they regularly told me that they were heading on a cruise vacation or had just returned from one. I watched the news as several cruise ships became breeding grounds for the new coronavirus. My fears started mounting.

On March 12, I woke up to a sick toddler and my mind went into overdrive. As a person with moderately controlled asthma, I’m prone to lung distress at the slightest hint of illness. I knew that even if I had not exposed my family to what would become known as COVID-19, I was next in line for whatever illness my toddler was experiencing. Inevitably, bronchitis would follow, putting me firmly in the at-risk category. My fear had come home.

In an act of self preservation and to protect my studio and community, my family unit (partner, toddler, and pets) began sheltering at home and practicing strict social distancing immediately. I’m pretty sure my partner, and most others around me thought I was acting rashly with a healthy dose of paranoia. At this time, only eight people in my county of nearly 300,000 residents had received testing and we had no confirmed cases as of yet; test eligibility was incredibly difficult to receive.

Our regular housemates are sheltering elsewhere; one is still being required to go to work at a daycare center and a country club. We’ve kept in touch with friends and family online only. I shudder to think how the 1918 pandemic must have felt so isolating without technology. Despite housing with others and being a lifelong introvert, I have felt increasingly lonely during this experience.

“… during these unprecedented and difficult times, I’ve found some of the most genuine comfort from my piercing tribe. I often think about how fortunate I am to have access to even my most geographically distant friends and family.

Over the last two months, I have left the house only to vote early on March 15, drop a present on a doctor friend’s doorstep, and walk the neighborhood. My partner has done only necessary grocery runs. As numerous local grocery stores have reported COVID-positive employees over the last several weeks, I’ve become increasingly concerned that  grocery  shopping  may  become a main means of transmission. This week, we’ll start getting fresh food delivered to our door by  a local farm alliance, reducing our need to leave the house considerably.

The studio moved to online only services a few days after my self-imposed quarantine. I worked with my studio managers to set a plan for online client consultations and to develop an online store, in hopes of providing some amount of income for both the studio and its employees. Unfortunately, response has been sparse as our nation faces massive unemployment without adequate public support.

In many ways I’ve felt unfairly privileged during this experience. I am witnessing those around me struggle; many are drowning in unfrozen debt or facing the possibility of losing their businesses. Some are experiencing the illness and passing of loved ones from a distance, unable to be physically present during their final moments. During this time, I’ve experienced untold amounts of self-reproach for what should make me feel grateful. To counteract my feelings of survivor’s guilt, I have done what I’m able (within my own loss of wages and mental capacity) to be supportive and present to those around me. Sometimes, that comes in the form of a manufactured smile and comforting words. Other times, I’ve used my voice, wallet, or social media presence to support my favorite small businesses, performers, or makers.

Although I’m accustomed to—and have the privilege of—working from home, my home office has changed drastically. We have crammed a second desk for my partner’s workspace (and occasionally a tiny “desk” for my child) into my small office. Our normal schedule of caregivers has ceased, so my partner and I try to balance our independent workloads and full time childcare. This has required immense amounts of patience, understanding, and negotiation; it’s still a work in progress.

Corbin waits (sometimes patiently) for mom to play.

I am missing studio life to my core. Having left the studio for more than three years during an existential crisis, long absences from piercing are not foreign to me. That said, I’ve been back in the studio part-time for more than a year, and the studio environment grants me an escape from my daily mom-dom. I’ve definitely lost the urge to shower as often or change out of my rattiest jeans. An incessant loop of children’s songs runs through my head. As I’m sure is the case for many others, isolation life is taking a toll on my mental health, even with my existing toolbox of medication and coping mechanisms.

That said, during these unprecedented and difficult times, I’ve found some of the most genuine comfort from my piercing tribe. I often think about how fortunate I am to have access to even my most geographically distant friends and family. Checking in regularly through digital means has saved my sanity and encouraged me to take those elusive showers or step outside. I want to take this opportunity to encourage everyone to reach out to personal and professional friends. Possibly more importantly, reach out to trained mental health providers2 without hesitation; even those without a pre-existing mental condition are understandably experiencing some difficult emotions and thoughts.

Graph of Florida CDC data forecast

As of April 29, USAFacts.org3 and the Florida Department of Health reported more than 33,000 confirmed cases and  more  than  1,200  deaths  in Florida alone: showing a steady increase in cases, rather than decline. On the same day, despite evidence showing a lack of testing and containment5, Gov. DeSantis announced beginning “Phase One” of reopening Florida6 starting May 4.

Within this phase, restaurants and retailers are allowed to resume operations at 25% capacity. Many small business owners7 in my area have voiced hesitance and unease about reopening so soon, as confirmed cases and COVID-related deaths continue to climb in the state.

Based on the data I have access to, my family and I plan to continue sheltering at home for the foreseeable future. I don’t feel that our state (or country) has reached adequate benchmarks to ensure the safety of the public and health care professionals. I am eager for the day I feel safe interacting in person with my friends, family, colleagues, and clients, but unfortunately, that day feels farther away now than I could have ever imagined two months ago.

1“Online Courses Library,” Online Courses, Association of Professional Piercers, accessed May 5, 2020,

https://safepiercing.litmos.com/online-courses/.

2 “Stress and Coping,” Daily Life & Coping, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accessed May 5, 2020,

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html.

3 “Coronavirus Locations: COVID-19 Map by County and State,” Visualizations, USAFacts, accessed May 5, 2020,

https://usafacts.org/visualizations/coronavirus-covid-19-spread-map/

4 “2019 Novel Coronavirus Response,” COVID-19 Outbreak, Florida Health, Florida Department of Health, accessed May 1, 2020,

https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/.

5 “COVID-19 Forecases,” Cases, Data, & Surveillance, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accessed May 5, 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/forecasting-us.html.

6 “Governor Ron DeSantis Presentation – April 29, 2020,” COVID-19 Resources, COVID-19, Ron DeSantis: 46th Governor of Florida,

https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/covid19/Safe%20Smart%20Step_Templat4.29%20FINAL.pdf.

7 Robbie Gaffney and Ryan Dailey, “Some Tallahassee Businesses Don’t Feel Safe Reopening Monday,” WFSU Public Media, April 30, 2020,

https://news.wfsu.org/2020-04-30/some-tallahassee-businesses-dont-feel-safe-reopening-monday

“We constantly adapt and change. Both growth and leadership are painful, but now is the time to grow and lead!”

Nicole Slavich

APP Member

Ghosts of Grace Tattoo & Piercing Billings, Montana USA

Article submitted April 28, 2020

Experiencing the start of the American response to COVID-19 as a Piercer and fine jewelry purveyor has been awakening  for me. My career has been a consecutive 15 years of learning to navigate  my fellow townspeople, as well as honing my “Piercerly Ways.” The people around me are like the weather here: harsh and slow to warm. I am a liberal sundog on a hot summer day.

During the six weeks of quarantine I have endured thus far, I took a no-contact job delivering food. My fine jewelry stock is small; my concern about the supply chain and the timeline of quarantine were what cemented the decision to shut down my piercing business completely. For a while, I did offer unadvertised no-contact jewelry sales to help those who reached out to me.

Over the last five years I’ve done a ton of personal work. First, separating my identity from my work, and later developing my now rich and dynamic personality and interests outside of body modification. This year, with the help of a LCSW and a traditional SSRI treatment of my lifelong depression, I have been able to build a life I love in a place I have felt that I never fit into properly. A freak shaped peg in a conservative hole, if you will.

When the Association of Professional Piercers recommended studio closure regarding COVID-19, I felt terrified. I have had many side hustles through my piercing career, but my career is my first true love. From Saturday, March 14 at closing time to Monday night on March 16 my whole life changed. Of course, lives around the world have been changed unfathomably over the last several months!

The first week of the shutdown was almost fun. People here were just excited to have time off. I pretended to be a freshly widowed trophy wife, and lived it up alone! The next week, I got to start my delivery job. Learning a new job always presents caveats of difficulty, which serve as a distraction. Nevertheless, my heart broke when I went to the store to drain the autoclaves, unplug the electronics, and rescue the plants. I removed even the three tiny, fairly inexpensive items of jewelry I let live in the jewelry case at the studio, as hope and a calculated risk for loss. I struggled for about two weeks. I was gentle with myself while I struggled. I listened to the healers I adore. These powerful, intuitive, blest, fat, hairy, brown women and femmes reminded me this is not our first time. We constantly adapt and change. Both growth and leadership are painful, but now is the time to grow and lead!

I began to interface more with our piercing community. I remembered to take my own advice: drink the water, video call your support system, cry when you feel like it, exercise your body, find joy in simple hobbies, rejoice for every drop of gratitude that sprinkles your prickled back!

As my brain felt better in my body, my compassion grew for my townspeople. They still acted foolishly: going in public without face coverings, having house parties, and not understanding how far six feet is, thus violating physical distancing. I understood though that their actions are directly fear based. In conservative, religious cultures (my town fits this description), denial is a prominent coping mechanism. Without trying to control others, I have begun to dig my heels in. I wear my mask, stay home before and after shifts, and step away every time someone is within my 6’ radius.

Then, my state chose to allow some non-essential businesses to re-open. I live in Eastern Montana, in the biggest city in the state with a population of 150,000. I am the only APP Member for a minimum of 4 hours travel time in any direction. I work as the only piercer with two tattoo artists. My coworkers continue to be supportive of me and my heavily weighed choices regarding luxury business in pandemic times. They have made great strides in changing their business along state and local guidelines for health and safety.

After having such a low daily stress job for a while, the idea of managing clients safely and all my scary questions that loomed so closely ahead, were daunting. Lucky for me, the Association of Professional Piercers has their work on such tight lock! I received supportive, informational emails and the announcement of the “Reopening, What’s That Going to Look Like?”1 Zoom panel meeting before I could even work myself into feeling overwhelmed.

Now, I’m working both jobs, with the intention to begin limited new piercing services on May 12. I am ramping up advertising, devising simple communications and safety signage, physically preparing the store, making the change to nearly all online jewelry sales and client interactions, switching from “Appointments Preferred” to “Appointment Only,” and taking good care of myself as I look forward to life as a Piercer in new light!

This time has allowed me to learn in so many new ways. I have given myself permission to enact authority based on my deep experience and varied talents. It’s a full rainbow coming for this old Sundog! I genuinely recognize we are all in different boats through the same storm. Your best is enough. HOLD FAST my friends, my community!

1“Reopening: What’s That Going to Look Like?,” Online Educational Series, Association of Professional Piercers, recorded April 24, 2020,

22 degree halo with sundog, supralateral arc, upper tangent arc, and circumzenithal arc seen from the road above Mammoth Terraces in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Diane Renkin, National Park Service, https://flic.kr/p/Pm39Uh

Leah Sarah Kent

APP Member, Studio Manager & Body Piercer Punctured Professional Body Piercing Boston, Massachusetts USA

Article submitted April 28, 2020

In a certain sense, I have always found that one thing seems to  separate  me  from my  industry peers: time. While the majority of my fellow piercers have been posting on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic that they haven’t been away from piercing for this long within the last 5, 10, 15, even 20 years, I do not share that experience. Around this time two years ago, I was actually re-entering the industry after recovering from a major car accident which kept me away from piercing for just over two months. My studio’s last day open was March 18, 2020, and the state of Massachusetts just extended our closure until at least May 18, officially marking the same two months.

On the night of February 10, 2018 I was driving casually along with a co-worker to Taco Bell in Holyoke, MA, where I was living at the time. As we drove through our green light, we were completely blindsided; hit by a drunk driver, without any headlights on, who ran a red light. I do not remember any of the accident itself, just waking up in a hospital bed screaming in pain. I broke five bones: my left ankle, my right shoulder, two ribs on my right side, and my right pelvis in two places. I had to wear a walking boot cast to support my ankle for three months, and used a walker (complete with grandma tennis balls on the feet) for about a month and a half.

At the time, my piercing career was only just beginning. I had fairly recently started working at a studio near Hartford, CT that made multiple false promises; the first being that they wanted me to assist in bringing the studio to APP standards, and the second being that my job would be waiting for me when I was able to work again. The doctors predicted about a three month full recovery time for me; I was “let go” from my job via text message just over a month after the reassurance. On that day, I threw my walker in the trunk of my (new) car and began the job hunt, with much higher standards this time around.

Flash forward to March of this year: I’m piercing five days a week and the studio manager at an amazing shop that I love, Punctured Professional Body Piercing, in the heart of Boston—my city, my home. I had just renewed my Association of Professional Piercers membership for a second year, and also just registered for my third APP Conference. The studio had seen significant growth over the past nearly two years since I started. In fact, I checked our numbers today and realized that on our last day of being fully open (Tuesday, March 17, 2020), we did more than double the amount in sales as on the corresponding Tuesday in March of 2019.

When we had to close due to COVID-19, I had just gotten to where I wanted to be in life. Though I know I look younger, I just turned 30 this past December. This is another way in which time seems to separate me from my peers; while most piercers around the same age as me (or even younger) are now quite established in their careers, I did not enter the industry until 2015, after spending five years getting my B.A. from Smith College and M.A. from Brandeis University in Women’s and Gender Studies. I proudly hang my diplomas in my piercing room mostly due to the fact that they always impress the parents of my minor clients.

Though I like to joke about being a piercer with a Master’s, the unfortunate truth, which ultimately circles back to COVID-19, is that I stepped away from the world of both academia and activism because I was simply burned out. I realized that, no, I was not going to change the world. So I became a piercer, because that is what I love. As someone who has also struggled with mental illness since my early teenage years, I decided that if I was going to continue on, I was going to do something that made me genuinely happy, not something that made me feel defeated, sad, and ultimately helpless.

COVID-19 makes me feel defeated, sad, and ultimately helpless. It’s not just about piercing and having to remain closed for so long. It’s about the systemic oppression and inequalities this virus so clearly exposes. It’s about the fact that these injustices are now so visible, yet we still have not taken any major collective action as a people to rise up and fight for a new society. I refuse to simply go back to the status quo. Yes, I want to go back to work, of course I do, because I get to be one of those lucky people who loves their job. But I do not want to go back to a society that values the economy over human lives. A society that calls its sacrifices for capitalism “essential workers” despite the fact that most of them get paid an already vastly under-inflated minimum wage. I want a socialist revolution. I want what I wanted when I decided to stop wanting it, stop working for it, and now there may not be anything left to want, for me, in life.

That is how COVID-19 has not only impacted my industry work life, but also my hopes (or now lack thereof) for the future.

Haley Grumbles

Apprentice Piercer Plano, Texas USA

Writing submitted April 27, 2020

I started my apprenticeship in August, so I was about seven months in when our shop had to close. I was finally feeling like I was on the right path and taking steps towards a career I’ve always wanted and felt passionate about. We have been shut down now for over a month and I feel like I have lost most of what I’ve learned.

I’m worried that when I go back I will be almost starting completely over.

As a positive, the online webinars have kept me busy and my mind fresh around piercing. Also, having a break from working 70+ hours a week at two jobs to make the apprenticeship even feasible financially has been a relief. It has also given me a lot to think about in terms of my future and the next steps I want to take for myself to be the best I can be when things open back up. I think I now have a clear five-year plan for my career. Which, in all this uncertainty, does have me feeling pretty good.

Point 89: Covid & APP Events

APP CONFERENCE 2020 COVID-19 UPDATE

APRIL 30, 2020, 2:00PM PDT

25TH ANNUAL APP CONFERENCE (ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED JULY 5-10, 2020)

After a long and complicated process the APP has finally come to an agreement whereby we will not be penalized the $200,000+ for cancelling the 2020 Conference.

We have felt strongly that cancelling this year’s conference is the very best action for our association, our attendees, and for the industry, worldwide. Piercers, studio owners, jewelry/counter specialists, and manufacturers face numerous challenges from the impact of this health crisis. Not only is this in the interest of health and safety, but this will also allow all of us to focus on business and family at home and to make sure we are opening under safe protocols.

We will miss all of you and the positive energy we all get from our Annual Conference and Exposition. We appreciate that you have remained steadfast in face of uncertainty.

ATTENDEES
  • The APP has sent an email to those who have registered for the 2020 Conference. If you need a refund now, or did not receive the email we ask that you complete a very brief form to request a refund (in full or in part).
  • If you did not request a refund by May 15th we will roll over your payment to next year. Attendees who rollover their fees will need to register next year but will use a code to apply their credits at the time they register. If you rollover your registration fees, at any time between now and next year, May 1, 2021, you may request a full refund without penalty.
  • The annual Conference is the primary source of income for the Association. Should you be financially able to contribute any part of your fees towards this year’s APP operating expenses, we would greatly appreciate it. Please use the same form to designate your contribution amount.
VENDORS
  • The APP has sent an email to vendors who have registered for the 2020 Conference. If you need a refund we ask that you respond to the email and request the refund (in full or in part). If you didn’t receive the email, please contact the office at info@safepiercing.org
  • If you did not respond to this email by May 15th we will roll over your payment to nextyear. Vendors who rollover their fees will need to register next year but will use a code to apply their credits at the time they register. If you do a rollover, and at any time between now and next year, May 1st of 2021, decide you need a refund, the APP will honor that.
  • For those companies who contributed to the Al D. Scholarship fund we ask that if you are able, to leave those funds with the APP. The APP has informed the scholars that their scholarships will rollover to next year. These scholars will fill our slots—if all scholars are able to make it next year—we will not take on additional scholars for 2021.
  • The annual Conference is the primary source of income for the association. Should you be financially able to contribute a portion of your fees for this year to the APP, we would greatly appreciate it.

Regardless of your decision know that we are all a part of a really awesome community and we will get through this.

HOTEL ROOM BLOCK

Planet Hollywood will automatically cancel any room reservation booked in the Association’s room block, which will trigger the refund of any deposit/payment. It will usually take 7-10 business days before you see the credit in your account. You will get an email confirmation from Planet Hollywood.

2020 APP MEMBERS’ RETREAT/CAMP APP & IN-PERSON MEETINGS

In addition, we have cancelled the 2020 APP Members’ Retreat / Camp APP and all in-person APP gatherings including board meetings and committee workgroup meetings. For questions regarding Camp cancellation, please contact Marina at mpecorino@safepiercing.org.

Please stay healthy and financially well as the world moves forward through this crisis.

We look forward to seeing you June 6-11, 2021 at Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas for Conference and the APP Members’ Retreat in 2021!

  THE NEXT SCHEDULED APP IN-PERSON EVENTS:                                           

2021

  • Annual Conference & Exposition
  • Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas — June 6 11.
  • APP Members’ Retreat
  • Atlanta, Georgia — Dates to be determined.

2022

  • Annual Conference & Exposition
  • Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas — June 12 17.
  • APP Members’ Retreat
  • Atlanta, Georgia — Dates to be determined.

2023

  • Annual Conference & Exposition
  • Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas — June 11 16.
  • APP Members’ Retreat
  • Atlanta, Georgia — Dates to be determined.

Point 89: APP Expanded Educational Resources

An addition to the written Recommended Response & Recovery Interim Protocols1, the Association of Professional Piercers has broadened its library of  free resources available to body art practitioners, health inspectors, legislators, and the general public on the topic of body piercing.

A recording of the Reopening: What’s That Going To Look Like?2 webinar with Monica Sabin, Jef Saunders, and John Johnson is available on YouTube.

In collaboration with many experienced APP Conference speakers, the APP is offering a free webinar Online Educational Series open to all skill levels. So far, classes have been offered on a broad array of topics including Utilizing Your Phone, Studio Security during a Pandemic, and specific techniques for several different piercing placements, like tongues and daith.

The APP Procedure Manual (2013 Edition) is now available for free as a digital download; hard copies are still available in the APP Online Store.

An updated version of this document is in the works.

Watch the organization’s social media for upcoming and additional offerings. For all COVID-19 related updates from the Association of Professional Piercers check safepiercing.org/psa_covid-19.php.

1“Recommended Response & Recovery Interim Protocols,” Public Service Announcements: COVID-19, Association of Professional Piercers, accessed April 27, 2020, https://www.safepiercing.org/docs/APP_Recommended_Post-COVID19_Closure_Reopening_interim_protocols.pdf.

2 “Reopening: What’s That Going to Look Like?,” Online Educational Series, Association of Professional Piercers, recorded April 24, 2020,

https://youtu.be/gxIylS3CTKA.

3 “APP Procedure Manual, 2013 Edition,” Publication/Store, Association of Professional Piercers, accessed April 27, 2020,

https://www.safepiercing.org/procedure_manual.php.

Point 89: APP Recommended Response & Recovery Post-Covid

On behalf of the Board of Directors, updated April 25, 2020

The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) is an international health  and  safety  organization.  It is a nonprofit voluntary alliance dedicated to the dissemination of information about body piercing. Governed by a voluntary elected Board of Directors, the APP is a united group of piercing professionals that freely shares information to help fellow members, piercers, healthcare professionals, legislators, health inspectors, and the general public get the best and most up-to-date information about body piercing.

For most countries around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the closure of body art facilities (including body piercing, tattooing, and other elective body art procedures). As countries seek to reopen their economies and ease measures like forced business closings and social distancing, the APP has sought to give accurate, appropriate, and achievable guidelines for all body artists to follow to decrease the spread of COVID-19 and  lower  the  impact  in their workplace. Recommended Response & Recovery Interim Protocols1.

We continue to recommend that body art professionals follow local, state or provincial, and national guidelines regarding the closure of non-essential business operations and, within these guidelines, make decisions that are best for them and their individual situations. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a terrible impact on all body art businesses and the people who work in them. It has sickened and killed hundreds of thousands worldwide. Through it all, body artists have stuck together, freely shared information, and readied themselves to return to work and serve their clientele. The Association of Professional Piercers would like to thank the body piercing and body art community for their resiliency, professionalism, and commitment to health and safety.

During this pandemic, information continues to evolve very quickly. The authors of this document will make every effort to make regular updates as new and better information becomes available. If  you  have  suggestions for improvements to this document please email the secretary of the APP at secretary@safepiercing.org.

In Health,

Your Board of Directors

1“Recommended Response & Recovery Interim Protocols,” Public Service Announcements: COVID-19, Association of Professional Piercers, accessed April 27, 2020, https://www.safepiercing.org/docs/APP_Recommended_Post-COVID19_Closure_Reopening_interim_protocols.pdf.

Point 89: The President’s Corner

Cody Vaughn

 A lot has changed since I initially wrote this article. Originally I had written about how excited we should all be for our upcoming Conference, and how 2020 was going to be a great year for our piercing community. Little did I know…

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive impact on everybody, and our piercing community is no exception. I understand and sympathize that we are all facing incredible challenges, and the closure of our businesses has been a massive blow to us all.

The Board immediately began working on appropriate responses to the pandemic and how it affects our community. We issued our statement early in March recommending we all discontinue piercing services due to the high risk it could present to our staff and clients, prior to most states issuing mandatory closures. It  was a necessary recommendation, but the economic impact of closures did make it a tough pill to swallow. Each response we have issued regarding COVID-19 has required multiple updates because of how quickly information has been changing, on a near daily basis.

A big question from our community has been whether or not our Conference would still happen this year. The health and safety of our conference attendees, volunteers, speakers and vendors has been our top priority while looking at Conference. The Board put in a lot of work creating protocols and plans for how a scaled back Conference could look given the current situation, and every avenue was investigated as to how we could safely make it happen. Initially there were no Federal guidelines for us to follow and everybody was in a bit of a holding pattern. Information continues to become available about COVID-19; the White House and CDC have begun making suggestions for each state outlining phases to determine when businesses can safely start to reopen. These developments made it clear to the Board that with the current state of affairs our 2020 Conference should not happen.

Prematurely canceling our Conference wasn’t a simple option. Contract negotiations are a sensitive and complicated process and the fiscal impact we could have created by prematurely canceling would have been a heavy financial burden for our organization; a $200,000+ penalty in addition to losing our biggest source of annual revenue.

On a national level, nobody knew how long these forced closure measures would last. A couple of weeks? A month? Our host hotel was initially only willing to discuss options when we were thirty days out from our Conference. But thanks to our Board Members’ decisiveness, and a lot of scheduled meetings, we successfully came to a favorable negotiation earlier than that with our host hotel, which allowed us to cancel our 2020 Conference AND avoid penalties.

We thank you all for your patience and trust while we’ve worked on this. From the outside I can understand how people would think, “You should just cancel it,” and my goodness how we all had hoped it could have been that quick and simple! As Board Members we have a responsibility to be stewards of the organization, and to look out for its well being. That includes upholding our mission statement of health and safety, and looking out for the financial health of the organization.

I am incredibly proud of all of the tireless work our Board Members, Officers, APP staff and volunteers have been putting in to best address all these issues. Like everybody else, we all have our own family, financial responsibilities, and work/studios to worry about. Even with all that, everybody has truly risen to this challenge and continues to do so.

It isn’t to say we are anywhere close to being out of the woods yet, as there is still a lot of work to be done and planning ahead. How this pandemic will affect our community long-term is not yet known. But I know the APP’s Board, employees, and volunteers will all continue to do the absolute best job we possibly can. I implore all of us in the piercing community to be kind and encouraging to each other in these difficult days ahead. We are a large extended family and now is the time for us to come together and show our support for one another.

I hope all of you reading this stay healthy, stay safe, and hang in there. It will be especially sweet when we are all able to safely meet each other again, and come together with our shared passion for safe piercing.

Point 89: From the Editor

Marina Pecorino, Managing Editor– The Point

The Point started in 1994 as a black and white paper mailer with a rotating cast of producers. The very first iteration1 stated in its introduction that “we intend [for this publication] to serve as a forum for information; all contributions are welcome.” In Issue 22, The Point producers stated that the publication was intended to “make piercing a safe, positive, evolving craft” and cautioned submitting authors to “expect to be variously disagreed with, challenged, or supported by other subscribers. That’s exactly The Point.”

This will be my final issue as a Managing Editor of The Point: Journal of Body Piercing, and the last consolidated issue to be published in a “printable” magazine format. Over the last five years I’ve helped to produce and publish 20 issues containing various tidbits of industry history; I’m sincerely proud of this professional and personal accomplishment. This unexpected opportunity allowed me to know colleagues and our organization in ways I wouldn’t have otherwise experienced. I feel closer and more connected to the piercing community, thanks to the knowledge I have gained as an Editor for this amazing publication. I am eternally grateful to have had this chance, and to have worked so closely with Kendra Jane B. and Jim Ward during my time with this project.

Moving forward, the publication will be exclusively available at thepointjournal.org in a blog style. We continue to encourage and welcome submissions of body modification and piercing related writing and high resolution images to editor@safepiercing.org. Since inception, this publication seeks to provide a reliable and progressive source of industry information, and a public platform for the diverse set of voices in our field.

The overall theme of this issue was originally planned around the interconnection between LGBTQIA+ and body mod culture; I had untold enthusiasm and personal connection to this theme. Unfortunately, due to a lack of author submissions from our community on the topic, and my own mental hurdles about ending this project (I’m not a fan of endings), the publication date was pushed far beyond our normal quarterly schedule.

Ultimately, I made the difficult decision to refocus the enclosed content around the current state of our industries and communities. Alongside many others, recently my attention and energy have been redirected; concentrating on how we can work together to create a community and support others in these uncertain and ever-evolving circumstances. I am proud of the work that my colleagues and organization have accomplished in the face of this crisis; more information about these labors of love can be found on subsequent pages of this issue.

Unfortunately, like many others, I have very different feelings toward the collaboration, guidance, and assistance offered by my state and national governing bodies. This issue offers a selection of perspectives from different industry professionals on the current COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout this difficult experience, I have been feeling much like Leah Sarah Kent describes later in this issue; “defeated, sad, and ultimately helpless” about the “systemic oppression and inequalities this virus so clearly exposes” and the lack of “major collective action as a people to rise up and fight for a new society.”

Personally, I am ready for a social and structural revolution, with the safety, security, and well being of the nation and world as the cornerstone. Until then, I’ll continue doing what I can to use my platforms to share diverse perspectives, reliable information, and available resources with my local and global communities. I hope that you will do the same. As Caitlin McDiarmid has said: “Stay Positive. Stay Generous. Stay Safe.”

1 “The Point—official newsletter of the APP,” File Archive, Association of Professional Piercers, accessed May 20, 2020,

https://www.safepiercing.org/docs/point01.pdf.

2 “The Point—official newsletter of the APP: Volume 1, Issue 2,” File Archive, Association of Professional Piercers, published January 1995,

https://www.safepiercing.org/docs/point02.pdf.