When I was about 13 / 14, when I first experienced feelings for girls, I discovered that having only your right ear pierced was a symbol for homosexuality. And so, when my left ear piercing closed up, I couldn’t be bothered to get it pierced again. My right ear piercing was my subtle way of embracing my queerness, and funny enough, I actually made friends with a fellow queer girl on my course because she also only had her right ear pierced. For certain reasons, my left ear is now also pierced, but I always wear a bigger earring on my right ear.
As I grew more confident in embracing my queer identity, I have expressed my identity more explicitly. Purple is a dominant colour in Bisexual Pride flag, so this colour is featured a lot in my wardrobe, and in my makeup collection. Purple lipstick and sparkly purple eyeshadow are something I can never live without.
To make it even more explicit, I almost always wear a Pride badge on my jacket. To someone who does not know me at all, this would mean perhaps I am in the LGBTQ+ community, or I am ready to fight for LGBTQ+ people. I find it very important to make my identity visible on campus, because it would convey the reassuring message that Exeter is a safe place for the LGBTQ+ community.
