# Lesbian jewelry and etiquette **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 18, 2018, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115 "2018-10-18T00:15:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2018, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115/41 "2018-10-18T21:29:02Z")
Maybe the OP’s friend also drives a Subaru Forester, is unaware of the symbolism and should be apprised of that too. :dubious: Or the OP should let the matter drop entirely and forget about it, as it’s none of his business and rehashing it would likely have negative consequences. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2018, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115/42 "2018-10-18T21:46:02Z")
I have a labrys necklace. It was a gift, from Greece, by straight friends who know the lesbian symbolism. I normally don’t wear it, or a lambda pin. These are more obscure symbols for which I have little need. I occasionally wear a rainbow pin or rainbow rings. I refuse to wear a pink triangle, because I’m not interested in displaying what I perceive as Nazi/oppressor symbolism. I don’t care to attempt to “reclaim” it when it was developed to mark gay prisoners. ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2018, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115/43 "2018-10-18T23:18:59Z")
As I recall, it was used as a lesbian and feminist symbol in the 1970’s and 1980’s, most prominently on the covers of Mary Daly’s books. I remember when her Gyn/Ecology was a big deal. The Goddess-worshipping lesbian friends I had at that time would have instantly related to it. But I never saw anyone wearing one as jewelry, and I haven’t seen it in visual depictions in that context since the early 1980’s. That said, I think you should just forget about your momentary embarrassment. It’s a bigger deal to you than to her, and referring to it would expand the embarrassment. She told you her take on it as a reference to Cretan history, and take it as that face value. If it has a deeper or other meaning to her, it is her business. Sometimes I wear a Thor’s hammer pendant, and it doesn’t mean I am a follower of Asatru, just that I like the design and the history behind it. I also wear a winged heart ring sometime, because I think it’s beautiful and makes my heart feel light. But I’m not a Sufi, either. Nor does wearing a yin/yang symbol make me a taoist. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2018, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115/44 "2018-10-19T00:41:53Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Maybe the OP’s friend also drives a Subaru Forester, is unaware of the symbolism and should be apprised of that too. :dubious: > > Or the OP should let the matter drop entirely and forget about it, as it’s none of his business and rehashing it would likely have negative consequences. Only if she wears sensible shoes…then her sexuality is all but assured and if she is straight, she’s a horrible tease to all the lesbians out there. (I used to be a Subaru-Forester-driving-sensible-shoe-wearing-short-haired-monogomously-married-to-a-man type of female - it confused a lot of people) ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2018, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115/45 "2018-10-19T01:04:11Z")
Looks like a lot of you missed _Bound_, a pretty cool movie in which the meaning of a labrys pendant was stated outright. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2018, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115/46 "2018-10-19T02:11:47Z")
> [@Lizard](#): > > Thank you. It only took until post #14; this doesn’t help what I already believed: that most people have no clue what “etiquette” means. I guess most others were too busy failing to be funny to actually click on the link in the OP too. The labrys as a symbol is about as obscure as the pink triangle or a rainbow. This should be in the dictionary next to “mansplain”. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2018, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115/47 "2018-10-19T02:45:15Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > I loved Tel Aviv. Same here - I went to college in one of the largest gay communities in the world (Greenwich Village) and have had plenty of gay and lesbian friends, and have never heard of this particular symbol of lesbianism. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2018, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115/48 "2018-10-19T02:46:07Z")
Hi Lizard, I noticed you used the well-known code phrase “a spot of tea”! in your first paragraph. Just to let you know, Bronies have their own meeting place in MPSIMS so you are more likely to find your fellow ML Pony guys over there. Cheers! ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2018, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115/49 "2018-10-19T04:22:34Z")
Anyway, have you considered the possibility that she’s a [Greek fascist?](https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmXoypizjW3WknFiJnKLwHCnL72vedxjQkDDP1mXWo6uco/wiki/Greek_fascism.html) ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2018, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115/50 "2018-10-19T10:21:23Z")
The fact I like rainbows does not make me LGBTQ… in my case, I just like rainbows. While the labrys was (and probably still is at times) used by lesbians as a symbol there are a bajillion other reasons why someone might wear one, so don’t assume one piece of jewelry defines a person. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2018, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115/51 "2018-10-19T10:50:19Z")
Wait, Subaru Foresters are also a symbol of lesbianism? That means that there isn’t one single straight woman in the entire state of Montana! No wonder I had such a hard time getting a date! ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2018, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115/52 "2018-10-19T12:33:24Z")
I’m familiar with all of these signifying links, but I’ve noticed over the years that more often than not, people don’t know them. You can’t assume anything, one way or the other. Pinky rings were also worn by some lesbians as a signifier when I was young. ---
**Author:** ![JB99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JB99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JB99)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2018, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115/53 "2018-10-19T12:44:37Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Looks like a lot of you missed _Bound_, a pretty cool movie in which the meaning of a labrys pendant was stated outright. Not the kind of lesbian movie I’m usually interested in. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2018, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115/54 "2018-10-19T12:45:28Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Wait, Subaru Foresters are also a symbol of lesbianism? Yup, and for good reason. [How Subarus Came to Be Seen as Cars for Lesbians - The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/06/how-subarus-came-to-be-seen-as-cars-for-lesbians/488042/) ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2018, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115/55 "2018-10-19T17:16:57Z")
Anecdote: many years ago my wife and I were looking for wedding music on CD. We stopped at a small mom & pop music and book store that had a profusion of rainbows displayed. My wife asked the proprietor if the rainbows were in support of gay rights. With obvious indignation, the merchant drew herself back and sputtered, “This is a CHRISTIAN store! The gays STOLE the rainbow from GOD!” How Promethean of them! ---
**Author:** ![Trafalgar\_Laura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trafalgar_laura/32/2907_2.png) [@Trafalgar\_Laura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trafalgar_Laura)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2018, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115/56 "2018-10-19T21:10:50Z")
Another lesbian checking in… it’s a pretty old and now obscure symbol. As seen in this thread, a lot of lesbians wouldn’t even recognize it. So I doubt that’s your coworker’s intentions. If it is, good for her, and if it’s not, I seriously doubt lots of strangers will be assuming she’s gay when she’s not. Just that she likes axes, perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![yo\_han\_go](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yo_han_go/32/130_2.png) [@yo\_han\_go](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yo_han_go)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2018, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115/57 "2018-10-19T23:57:36Z")
Ahemm … Any … Good pickup lines down in that direction. You know, like … “Wanna axe some bushes” or “My rusty lybris needs some oiling …” I can see even more potential if that was gay guy symbol. ---
**Author:** ![Trafalgar\_Laura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trafalgar_laura/32/2907_2.png) [@Trafalgar\_Laura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trafalgar_Laura)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115/58 "2018-10-20T00:44:16Z")
> [@yo\_han\_go](#): > > Ahemm … Any … Good pickup lines down in that direction. You know, like … “Wanna axe some bushes” or “My rusty lybris needs some oiling …” I can see even more potential if that was gay guy symbol. “May I axe for your number?” “Excuse my boldness, but I noticed that fine axe from clear across the room.” ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115/59 "2018-10-20T02:18:36Z")
Just to add another data point: I had a college study partner and friend, who wore a labrys necklace explicitly as a symbol of her lesbianism. She explained it to me, after the TA teaching our Intro to Biblical Hebrew class, a closeted gay man himself, recognized it. This was in Georgia, in the early 90s. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115/60 "2018-10-20T02:25:15Z")
> [@Trafalgar\_Laura](#): > > “May I axe for your number?” > “Excuse my boldness, but I noticed that fine axe from clear across the room.” [Kiss my axe!](https://cf.geekdo-images.com/camo/ca4a62fa4358ef8dd7b613c767911c4d02efea4a/687474703a2f2f342e62702e626c6f6773706f742e636f6d2f5f6c706944524461482d6d552f5377786f4b4c2d646953492f41414141414141415179412f4d50557a4869344f5855342f733430302f736c61696e6530392e6a7067) [Also available in fine T-shirt form, although I’m reasonably sure Slaine wasn’t a lesbian.](https://titanmerchandise.com/slaine-kiss-my-axe-t-shirt/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lesbian-jewelry-and-etiquette/823115.md?page=4)