Carabiner meaning gay
Carabiners — those sturdy, metal clips usually seen securing ropes and gear — might not seem appreciate an obvious symbol of LGBTQ+ culture at first glance. But behind their practical appearance lies a rich history that connects them to lesbian persona, tracing all the way back to World War II and the symbolism of keys among women. Let’s dive into the fascinating story of how carabiners became a calm but powerful emblem within the lesbian community.
🌍 A Symbol of Strength and Resilience
Originally designed for climbers and mountaineers, carabiners depict strength, security, and autonomy — qualities that deeply resonate within the woman loving woman community. Over time, what started as a piece of functional gear evolved into a meaningful accessory, symbolising self-reliance and solidarity.
🗝️ WWII and the Control of the Key
During Society War II, women took on critical roles in factories, the military, and other industries, often holding literal keys to workplaces and important buildings. Keys soon gained symbolic essence, representing control, autonomy, and hidden identities.
For many gay women, keys became a subtle way to signal belonging to underground feminist and LGBTQ+ circle
'It's pretty obvious I'm queer': We asked young people how they use fashion to express themselves
From badges for your politics, jerseys for your sporting affiliations or eyeliner for your goth status, there's no shortage of ways that people use style to mark their identity.
This has been particularly important over history for LGBTQIA+ people to subtly signal who they are and what they like.
There's even a word to describe this phenomenon: flagging
So, how did flagging actually work? And is it something adolescent people – especially those in queer communities – still participate in today?
Flagging explained
Flagging isn't just about what you wear, it's about what's expressed by what you wear.
In the new ABC iview series The Way We Wore, fashion historian from Adelaide University Madeleine Seys explains how clothes played a big role in the queer community, dating help to the 1800s.
She says fashion was an vital tool for LGBTQIA+ people to find each other and build their communities in Australia, especially when homosexuality was criminalised.
"Flagging begins with queer men in the 19th century," she says.
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Lesbians and Key Rings: a Cultural Love Story
There’s a beautiful scene in the memoir-turned-musical Fun Home where an elementary school–aged Alison Bechdel spots a masculine deliverywoman in a diner, an encounter that sparks a kind of epiphany about her own individuality. The little girl admires the woman from across the room, grasping for the right words to describe her fascination. “I thought it was supposed to be wrong / But you seem OK with being strong,” she sings. “It’s probably conceited to say / But I think we’re alike in a certain way.”
Young Bechdel marvels at the woman’s short haircut, butch swagger, and “lace-up boots.” The focal point of her ode, the unmistakable signifier that gives the song its title, is the “ring of keys” on her belt.
That tune, and the scene in the 2006 memoir from which the musical was adapted, was based on a true-life moment Bechdel experienced in the 1960s. But look to the waistbands of any modern-day gaggle of queer women, and you’re liable to find a critical mass of jingling metal attached.
The beltside key ring is one of the most enduring sartorial symbols of lesbian culture, one of the few stereotypes of our kind that’s both inoffensive
“What does a lesbian see like?” feels like an age-old question – or, to be more logical, a decades-old question. With Dressing Dykes, I desire that I answer it at least regarding specific individuals, or lesbian styles at particular times and places throughout history. However, lesbianism exists in the heart, the mind and the body rather than in the wardrobe. Clothes are an extension of the lesbian self, a conscious display (or, perhaps, a conscious veil). Because of this, the genuine question is not “what does a lesbian glance like?” but “what clothing is a lesbian signal?”
Often, this comes down to items that have a wide-spread cultural meaning… in other words, lesbian stereotypes. Stereotypical lesbian fashions, love sensible footwear, are based in more truth than many other stereotypes in popular culture, since lesbians (and other queer people) have historically desired to reach out to other members of their society. When this cannot be done with familial, pre-established bonds, in the way that communities may be forged in other marginalised groups, other methods are necessary. To utilise a lesbian fashion stereotype is to signal, and to flash a lesbian beam into
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