TATTOOED, PIERCED & QUEER

Rachel Badham looks into whether LGBTQ+ people are more likely to get body modifications

After getting my first facial piercing nearly two years ago, I went home to show my housemates, the majority of whom identified as LGBTQ+. One of the first comments I got from them was ‘having a septum ring definitely makes you look more gay’. I heard a similar remark last year when I was in a bar with friends with my large thigh tattoo on display. Long story short, a man quickly gave up flirting with me when an outlooker pointed out to him: “She has a thigh tattoo, she’s obviously gay”. While that definitely cracked me up, it made me consider why body modifications seem to be so heavily attached to the LGBTQ+ community - is it just a stereotype, or do queer people really have a greater affinity to tattoos, piercings and all things body modification?

While others had stereotyped me in for my body modifications, I have made similar assumptions about others. If I see someone with brightly coloured hair, heavy tattooing or multiple piercings, I often think they are more likely to be part of the LGBTQ+ community. When researching this phenomenon, there’s actually very little concrete evidence to suggest LGBTQ+ people are more likely to get body modifications. There’s a fair amount of work on the disparities between men and women in terms of modifications, but much less solid research on the differences between the LGBTQ+ community and their cis-het counterparts. However, there are a lot of interesting theories on the topic.

Queer tattoo artist Jj Motto shared her thoughts on the importance of body modifications to LGBTQ+ people: “I have been getting tattooed and body modifications since I was teenager. I used it as a form of self-expression that would go on to change many times but always something I wanted and I chose to have done. I may not have been in control of my feelings as a teen with regards to being gay but I was in control regarding the art I liked, the fashion I followed and the tattoos I got. Tattoos and body modification are an act of freedom, the ultimate form of self expression and even an act of defiance in some societies.”

Jj Motto

Creating a safe space for LGBTQ+ clients is paramount to Jj, who believes it’s important for customers feel comfortable in the studio: “Knowing the artist is part of your community creates a safer and more relaxed environment which results in a better experience for both the artist and customer.” For many LGBTQ+ people such as Jj and her clients, body modifications bring a sense of control, freedom and many are even inking their inspirations on to their bodies to remind them to embrace their sexuality or gender identity.

I later came across a Q&A website which affirmed this theory. A handful of people were discussing the link between LGBTQ+ identity and tattoos, one person suggested that LGBTQ+ may be more open to modifying themselves, saying: “They already know they face social condemnation for a fundamental part of their identity”. Another made an interesting point about how tattoos provide an opportunity for people to reclaim their bodies, which is particularly important for many LGBTQ+ people who often have their bodies policed or criticised.

While stigma around LGBTQ+ bodies continues to be prevalent in modern society, modifications allow for people to claim autonomy over themselves and create their own version of beauty.

Body modifications have the potential to reflect your personal narrative; they can create a new understanding of a body which may have been through trauma

Body modifications have the potential to reflect your personal narrative; they can create a new understanding of a body which may have been through trauma – an experience all too common in the LGBTQ+ community. LGBTQ+ culture also has a history of inspiring body modification, with Jj saying that her identity inspires much of her artwork: “Although it didn’t inspire me to become a tattoo artist per se, the art I was making, whether painting, print-making or mixed media pieces, almost always had a correlation to my sexuality. Tattooing just then became a professional outlet for my art.”

An increasing number of people are getting LGBTQ+ Pride-themed tattoos, with a handful of these people telling Buzzfeed* about the stories behind their body art. One person said their rainbow-adorned arm was a “symbol to accept myself in all aspects of my life and I am proud of who I am”. Another said their Pride themed tattoo was a mode of “proudly expressing” themselves after being continuously judged for their identity. Jj, who now owns the Studio & I clothing store and tattoo studio in York, and is known for tattooing queer icons such as Lady Gaga, Prince and David Bowie on her clients, says: “LGBTQ+ icons play a real important part in our lives and can help many overcome hurdles through their art, views and ongoing

fight for equal rights. This is the reason why many of my clients choose to have their idol permanently inked into their skin; an admiration and a respect for someone who has supported them being out, loud and proud.”

Due to the overall lack of research, it’s not clear if there is a greater proportion of LGBTQ+ people with body modifications, however it does seem apparent that they hold a certain importance for the queer community. To me, my tattoos in particular hold an importance to my identity; while my thigh tattoo may make me look more stereotypically gay to others, my inked wolf is my symbol of resilience after years of struggling with my mental health and trying to terms with my sexuality. So while no one can say for sure if statistically, more people in the LGBTQ+ community have body modifications than our cis-het counterparts, what is certain is that tattoos, piercings and all things modification are a symbol of our pride, strength and individuality.

*We Asked People To Share The Stories Behind Their Pride Tattoos - Sarah Karlan for Buzzfeed, May 31, 2015.