In the late 1960s, the hippy movement made earrings on men a symbol of rebellion and non-conformism. … In the ’80s, wearing an earring in the right ear meant the wearer was a homosexual, but an earring in the left meant the wearer was straight.
Similarly, what do piercings represent?
The reasons for piercing or not piercing are varied. Some people pierce for religious or spiritual reasons, while others pierce for self-expression, for aesthetic value, for sexual pleasure, to conform to their culture or to rebel against it.