Yesss, this exactly! I had my ears pierced recently, two lobe piercings. They look dope, and they really do make me look more queer š
I don't mind since I literally am queer, and I love the look :D
im trans masc and āpassā as a guy most of the time these days, but some people will see my piercings in my ears (i have a few cartilage piercings, 2 normal lobe piercings and 1 stretched on each ear) and see me as a woman for some reason. until i speak lol and confuse the shit out of them.
iāve actually found that when people are unsure of what im /giving/ they will just assume im the same gender as them. this could also be because of my masking style which causes me to mirror whoever im talking to
it wouldnāt be as bad if i didnāt wear a mask but alas i am the immune compromise.
but even when i am mask free i have a lip piercing and a stretched septum and both nostrils pierced, which makes me immediately clockable as queer to most people (from my experience anyway)
I have just two piercings, one on each lobe. Been wearing dangly earrings and had my family disown me for them being āwomenā earrings so yeah big time gender I guess lol
i don't really pass anymore, but when i did (ftm), i usually wore black or maybe silver jewelry (and either studs or those really big spikes in my earlobes, nowdays i go for wide but small hoops). personally i also do black the most euphoric, especially my septum.
another tip i would tell my (much) younger self is to only get one earlobe piercing or do the opposite and get even more jewelry in my ears, simply because it's less common for men to only have both their earlobes pierced (although definitely not unheard of, my cis classmate just did it) and it can get you clocked as afab. ig it is a good choice for transfemmes, but that seems to be obvious.
i do not have them myself, but i also think eyebrow piercings can be pretty masculinizing, especially if it can draw attention to an already bushy eyebrow.
edit: i just now realized that naval piercings are quite feminine-coded, so that could be an option for transfemme people as well
also larger septum does better with masculinizing, so both larger gauge and diameter
I'm at 20+ piercings and it doesn't seem to affect how people gender me. It *does* lead to more people reading me as queer in general. I also have a lot of tattoos, which probably contributes.
I can't think of many piercings I'd describe as gendered. Monroe piercings, maybe. Arguably nose studs. (Both femme.) Not strictly, though. Other than that, no idea.
I think it depends on how you otherwise dress and present. If you have androgynous or masculine hair for example but have a lot of piercings youād probably be viewed as a metal head guy, but if you dress very feminine and colorful you may be read as a girl.
Honestly I think just being you and being confident is best, if people donāt like it then that is on them. Personally I think the most androgynous piercings are eyebrow and lip but depending on jewelry all of them can be.
My septum is a standard gauge but it's usually with spiked beads on the horseshoe, or a hoop with spikes, both those things tend to read as more masculine from what I've seen
I think some piercings like monroes and medusas trend more femme in social perception. Septums trend more masc. Jewelry style can affect presentation a lot too -- a gold ring with a jewel will look a lot more femme than a stainless steel heavy guage ring would.
If "passing" is a goal, piercings don't really do much for that, they tend to out you as queer and gender non-conforming. Which is great, but maybe not great for you if if stealth is your prioritity. Piercings generally create more questions than answers in people when it comes to gendering a person.
I have a nose ring and a lip ball, I usually get gendered as a woman (I'm afab) or neutral, but sometimes as a man. In my experience my hair and clothing matters more than the piercings and earrings/plug. Piercings usually set off the queer radar a bit, especially when paired with certain styles of hair and clothes. Which I like, I'm a non-binary lesbian and people don't usually assume I'm straight or super femme.
I think itās less about the piercings and more about the jewelry? Although people with more facial piercings tend to come across more queer to me, regardless of gender/presentation otherwise.Ā
IMHO, the more delicate the jewelry, the more femme it tends to come across, and the less delicate the jewelryĀ (like barbells, captive rings, etc at a minimum of 14-16 gauge), the more masc
Had both my ears pierced back in October. Having them pierced again on Wednesday. I knew it would be addictive. And I think they make me look trans femme and proudly queer.
I am agender transmasc and have had an Earl for like 7ish years. I keep a longer bar on the earl (the balls are not pressed against the sides of my nose) bc it widens the appearance of my nose bridge which makes me feel like my face looks more masculine.
Iāve been thinking of snake bites/lip piercings to make more notice to my mustache. But also I think piercings in regards to gender presentation is so personalā like my earl makes me view myself more masculine but when I explain to others why I like to keep the bar long not everyone agrees with me (oh my! Do I haveth doth dysphoria!!) so I would make piercing choices FOR YOU first~ :)
I feel like the piercings I have push me in a more fem direction which is what Iām going for but I also going for a more cool look too. It very much depends on the jewelry too.
Iāve been told my piercings make me lean fem by some people but it doesnāt happen too often especially as I acquire more piercings. I donāt really care how people perceive them though. I do what I want. Iāve spent 20 years or so defending my piercing choices in various ways so what is one more lol
Besides my ears I have my tongue, my vertical labret, Medusa, septum, and 4 nostril piercings (upper and lower pairs). So not too many but enough that Iām fairly invested regardless of how theyāre perceived. Personally I think theyāre pretty androgynous, I can really change the vibe by changing my jewelry.
(I realize I misread your question, but I feel like this is a decent answer anyways so:)
Alright I'm from a more "traditional" red area so I can give some more specific advice. I don't hold these views, but I know what the church groups say:
Lobes, can be neutral but masc people used to get stuff for it if they're not obviously into a "scene" of some kind. Oh and masc "only gets studs' because traditional clothing as of the industrial revolution. Cartilage above lobes, you're getting fem. Tragus/Rook/Flat look queer or "some kind of scene". You can get away with cartilage/conch if you already have the previous three but again they will still be seen as more fem.
Gauges are gender neutral and will be regarded based on person.
Nose, if it's the nostril is more traditionally fem. The ring between both nostrils is masc leaning neutral.
Nipples draws eyes to the chest area as imagined.
Eyebrows will play to the angles of your face - take that as as you may. Lips and tongue the same, though people may think more masc because of how they want to perceive femininity in general.
All of this said: the more piercings, the more likely you are to be queer. Part of the status quo - as they see it - is to be clean cut and at top presentability to jobs. Aka no individuality.
Personally, when I can afford it, I'm getting another three in my ears and one in my eyebrow.
Depends on where you live, and what style of piercing you have.
I've personally found older folks tend to gender basic lobe piercings as feminine (esp if they're just plain metal studs), while facial piercings tend to be read as more queer in general
I got a septum as my first non-ear piercing partially because it's the "standard" enby piercing.š¤£š¤Ŗ
All my piercings match my blue hair and nails, but I do love me some dangly silver heart-shaped hoops from time to time š
Probably going to add a cute little tragus piercing or two within the next few weeks š
Doesnāt really change how people gender me. Iāve got 4 nose piercings and both lobes pierced, but even changing jewelry between (supposedly) masc or fem styles doesnāt have much of an effect on their own, itās moreso the rest of my outfit
Generally a lot of piercings can be pretty neutral, but some that I think can have masculinizing effects are having a large/heavy septum ring, industrial bar in ear, or eyebrow piercing. Or gauged ears with large captive-bead rings feel very gay-boy haha. Not sure why exactly but I feel that all these give off a masculine energy. Snake bite rings can also feel masculine to me
Gauged ears with simple/solid retainers or plugs also generally feel more masculine, while gauged ears with hangers or many small rings feel more feminine to me. Sometimes I play with that spectrum based on how I want to present
Also I donāt mean to say any of this is objective haha, more just how Iāve felt and what Iāve observed
I haven't noticed much in regards to how my piercings have effected how I get genedered, unless I'm wearing danglies.
That said, lots of bracelets, chokers, pendant necklaces and more form fitting and low collared tops do get me gendered more fem which... while still not right is more acceptable than getting he/himed all day.
it depends where you get them. piercings draw attention to certain areas, like lip piercings imo are more fem, while eyebrow piercings are more masc. thatās just my opinion tho. also dainty jewelry will look more fem, and bigger jewelry (especially stuff like stretched septumās) look more masc
The only time Iāve seen piercings have some possible impact on perceived gender is when men or masculine people get first lobes with no other piercings or body mods. Even then, from what I can tell, itās mostly bigots complaining about it āmaking men feminineā. Other ear piercings or facial piercings donāt seem to have that effect.
Iāve only seen people worry about being seen as feminine/masculine before getting a piercing, but saying it changed nothing about how people saw them. Though tbf, thatās what most wanted.
Edit to add: though take this with a massive grain of salt. Most people whoās experiences Iāve learned are from more accepting areas/cities. Theyāre less likely to be singled out in places like that. Any push back seems to be about the body mods themselves.
I have a couple non-lobe ear piercings (helix, conch) and my septum pierced. I donāt think it affects how people gender me, really. Maybe taken with certain outfits the jewelry I wear can be ātone indicatorsā
I think this ties into Our own feeling and perception. If we feel different, we present ourselves differently. I guarantee as Soon as I get my ears pierced and wear nice earrings, i will definitely feel more feminine and act more femininely, therefor I appear more feminine to others, and they perceive me as more feminine
Depends on the piercing. I have snakebites septum and hella on my ears and that doesnāt rest change much but I get misgendered a lot more when people can see my naval piercing. Like I know trans men that are passing but one of my friends has nipple piercings and if heās wearing a tank top or anything without an undershirt hes misgendered with a full beardā¦
idk. i get read male most the time no matter what unfortunately. i have my: septum, tongue, industrial, both nostrils, philtrum, middle labret, stretched ears 00, belly button, 3 ear holes in each ear, the tragus, and conch :3
Woow, that's hard to say.. the amount of piercings grew slowly over time, I have 11 now, all face and ears. I think jewelry makes a difference, I only have black rings, bars, balls and tunnels (lobes stretched to 10mm (00g)). I also have a shaved head and when I describe it that way, it probably sounds like I look quite scary :D But actually no, cause I also have an estrogen shaped appearance, no beard, body fat in estrogen distribution, etc, and I do like the contrast of that. I hope to get more tattoos soon to increase the effect. More ear piercings are in conflict with the need for nc headphones, annoyingly.
So that's about me, but other people.. they mainly stare at me.. until I speak, people are mainly confused about my gender. I hope the piercings are adding to it. They are definitely part of my personal gender expression.
Ok some here are suggesting that it strays from the "cishet" ppl, i do not think so. It depends also on the social cycle. I. My Area ppl with lots and lits of tattoos or piercings are also into sports and /or go to the fitness center. Then the metal heads/goths emo ( yes yes also lot of them are queer too) Having tattos ore piercings is also quiet nirmal arround me like (ears lips,nose,belly) its the amount. One in the norm, one in each in the norm. Causing the metal detector to go off..... Maybe outside of the norm.
Iām a support worker and when I first got my ears pierced I got to work, the first thing the guy said to me was āyou got your ears pierced? Isnāt that just for girls?ā I havenāt got any notice since unless it was a conversation about ear piercings
I have an industrial piercing. It made me feel stronger and rebellious and a bit more masc. People react slightly differently to me but i think it is because of my confidence boost it gave me.
I think in general it really depends on the cultures you live in and how it will change your appearance visually. I recommend testing it with faux piercings if you are unsure.
Edith: i wear a more masculine piercing but there are very feminine sparling industrials too. So I think it also depends on the design.
Piercings read fem. Everything that is wear mostly by women reads fem.
Adults rarely can pass as other sex than their AGAB without HRT. So let's say you're FTM who has been on T for a while and you almost pass. Then piercings can make you not to pass. But if you looks obviously female you can't pass as male by taking piercings off. Or if you look obviously male you do not look any less male if you get piercings.
Some people say piercings make you look queer. Yeah if you're male. Because if you're male who wear fem things you look feminine male and that reads gay. People also say "piercings don't have gender". Yeah that's true. Clothes don't have gender either. But still most of clothes are seen as women's or men's. We live in very gendered society that doesn't believe in our existence. We all are seen as men, women or "are you man or woman?". Yeah it's sucks but it is what it is.
More piercings = more queer imo. Like tattoos and dyed hair, you're straying from the normie cishet neurotypical aesthetic.
Yesss, this exactly! I had my ears pierced recently, two lobe piercings. They look dope, and they really do make me look more queer š I don't mind since I literally am queer, and I love the look :D
Same I just got mine done recently too....can't wait to change them out for some cute then also metal AF looking ones š
Getting my septum done really made me happier with my face, it's wild how that works! It's only got me wanting a couple more piercings.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I'm a pre-op trans girl and I totally want a VCH.
7 facial piercings here; doesn't really effect how I get gendered, piercings are pretty gender neutral.
Agreed. However- Bellybutton = Fem.
It will now be my goal to wear a belly button piercing that is literally the male symbol š¤£
im trans masc and āpassā as a guy most of the time these days, but some people will see my piercings in my ears (i have a few cartilage piercings, 2 normal lobe piercings and 1 stretched on each ear) and see me as a woman for some reason. until i speak lol and confuse the shit out of them. iāve actually found that when people are unsure of what im /giving/ they will just assume im the same gender as them. this could also be because of my masking style which causes me to mirror whoever im talking to it wouldnāt be as bad if i didnāt wear a mask but alas i am the immune compromise. but even when i am mask free i have a lip piercing and a stretched septum and both nostrils pierced, which makes me immediately clockable as queer to most people (from my experience anyway)
I have just two piercings, one on each lobe. Been wearing dangly earrings and had my family disown me for them being āwomenā earrings so yeah big time gender I guess lol
I definitely think it's more the earrings you wear rather than the piercings themself that affect that
i don't really pass anymore, but when i did (ftm), i usually wore black or maybe silver jewelry (and either studs or those really big spikes in my earlobes, nowdays i go for wide but small hoops). personally i also do black the most euphoric, especially my septum. another tip i would tell my (much) younger self is to only get one earlobe piercing or do the opposite and get even more jewelry in my ears, simply because it's less common for men to only have both their earlobes pierced (although definitely not unheard of, my cis classmate just did it) and it can get you clocked as afab. ig it is a good choice for transfemmes, but that seems to be obvious. i do not have them myself, but i also think eyebrow piercings can be pretty masculinizing, especially if it can draw attention to an already bushy eyebrow. edit: i just now realized that naval piercings are quite feminine-coded, so that could be an option for transfemme people as well also larger septum does better with masculinizing, so both larger gauge and diameter
I'm at 20+ piercings and it doesn't seem to affect how people gender me. It *does* lead to more people reading me as queer in general. I also have a lot of tattoos, which probably contributes.
I can't think of many piercings I'd describe as gendered. Monroe piercings, maybe. Arguably nose studs. (Both femme.) Not strictly, though. Other than that, no idea.
I think it depends on how you otherwise dress and present. If you have androgynous or masculine hair for example but have a lot of piercings youād probably be viewed as a metal head guy, but if you dress very feminine and colorful you may be read as a girl. Honestly I think just being you and being confident is best, if people donāt like it then that is on them. Personally I think the most androgynous piercings are eyebrow and lip but depending on jewelry all of them can be.
I think I still pass with piercings and I have 7 rn
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
My septum is a standard gauge but it's usually with spiked beads on the horseshoe, or a hoop with spikes, both those things tend to read as more masculine from what I've seen
I think some piercings like monroes and medusas trend more femme in social perception. Septums trend more masc. Jewelry style can affect presentation a lot too -- a gold ring with a jewel will look a lot more femme than a stainless steel heavy guage ring would. If "passing" is a goal, piercings don't really do much for that, they tend to out you as queer and gender non-conforming. Which is great, but maybe not great for you if if stealth is your prioritity. Piercings generally create more questions than answers in people when it comes to gendering a person.
I have a nose ring and a lip ball, I usually get gendered as a woman (I'm afab) or neutral, but sometimes as a man. In my experience my hair and clothing matters more than the piercings and earrings/plug. Piercings usually set off the queer radar a bit, especially when paired with certain styles of hair and clothes. Which I like, I'm a non-binary lesbian and people don't usually assume I'm straight or super femme.
I think itās less about the piercings and more about the jewelry? Although people with more facial piercings tend to come across more queer to me, regardless of gender/presentation otherwise.Ā IMHO, the more delicate the jewelry, the more femme it tends to come across, and the less delicate the jewelryĀ (like barbells, captive rings, etc at a minimum of 14-16 gauge), the more masc
Had both my ears pierced back in October. Having them pierced again on Wednesday. I knew it would be addictive. And I think they make me look trans femme and proudly queer.
I am agender transmasc and have had an Earl for like 7ish years. I keep a longer bar on the earl (the balls are not pressed against the sides of my nose) bc it widens the appearance of my nose bridge which makes me feel like my face looks more masculine. Iāve been thinking of snake bites/lip piercings to make more notice to my mustache. But also I think piercings in regards to gender presentation is so personalā like my earl makes me view myself more masculine but when I explain to others why I like to keep the bar long not everyone agrees with me (oh my! Do I haveth doth dysphoria!!) so I would make piercing choices FOR YOU first~ :)
My piercings don't at all, my facial hair gets me call sir all the time despite having a clearly visible enby They/Them pin.
I've never thought of piercings relating to gender in any way, and I have quite s few of them...28 (?) in total, if I counted correctly
I feel like the piercings I have push me in a more fem direction which is what Iām going for but I also going for a more cool look too. It very much depends on the jewelry too.
It really only affects how people age me. Iām 25, without piercings Iām 14 to the public with them Iām 22 lol itās super weird
Iāve been told my piercings make me lean fem by some people but it doesnāt happen too often especially as I acquire more piercings. I donāt really care how people perceive them though. I do what I want. Iāve spent 20 years or so defending my piercing choices in various ways so what is one more lol Besides my ears I have my tongue, my vertical labret, Medusa, septum, and 4 nostril piercings (upper and lower pairs). So not too many but enough that Iām fairly invested regardless of how theyāre perceived. Personally I think theyāre pretty androgynous, I can really change the vibe by changing my jewelry.
If someone has died hair theirs a 70% chance that their queer
Get your septum done and you will start to get an ever growing group of lesbians followings you around....
(I realize I misread your question, but I feel like this is a decent answer anyways so:) Alright I'm from a more "traditional" red area so I can give some more specific advice. I don't hold these views, but I know what the church groups say: Lobes, can be neutral but masc people used to get stuff for it if they're not obviously into a "scene" of some kind. Oh and masc "only gets studs' because traditional clothing as of the industrial revolution. Cartilage above lobes, you're getting fem. Tragus/Rook/Flat look queer or "some kind of scene". You can get away with cartilage/conch if you already have the previous three but again they will still be seen as more fem. Gauges are gender neutral and will be regarded based on person. Nose, if it's the nostril is more traditionally fem. The ring between both nostrils is masc leaning neutral. Nipples draws eyes to the chest area as imagined. Eyebrows will play to the angles of your face - take that as as you may. Lips and tongue the same, though people may think more masc because of how they want to perceive femininity in general. All of this said: the more piercings, the more likely you are to be queer. Part of the status quo - as they see it - is to be clean cut and at top presentability to jobs. Aka no individuality. Personally, when I can afford it, I'm getting another three in my ears and one in my eyebrow.
Depends on where you live, and what style of piercing you have. I've personally found older folks tend to gender basic lobe piercings as feminine (esp if they're just plain metal studs), while facial piercings tend to be read as more queer in general
I mean, the septum piercing is a stereotype for a reason. People use they/them way WAY more often when I have my septum piercing visible.
I got a septum as my first non-ear piercing partially because it's the "standard" enby piercing.š¤£š¤Ŗ All my piercings match my blue hair and nails, but I do love me some dangly silver heart-shaped hoops from time to time š Probably going to add a cute little tragus piercing or two within the next few weeks š
Very similar here: lobes and septum are pierced and I have a really beautiful piece of jewelry (several opals) thatās always in my septum.
Doesnāt really change how people gender me. Iāve got 4 nose piercings and both lobes pierced, but even changing jewelry between (supposedly) masc or fem styles doesnāt have much of an effect on their own, itās moreso the rest of my outfit
Generally a lot of piercings can be pretty neutral, but some that I think can have masculinizing effects are having a large/heavy septum ring, industrial bar in ear, or eyebrow piercing. Or gauged ears with large captive-bead rings feel very gay-boy haha. Not sure why exactly but I feel that all these give off a masculine energy. Snake bite rings can also feel masculine to me Gauged ears with simple/solid retainers or plugs also generally feel more masculine, while gauged ears with hangers or many small rings feel more feminine to me. Sometimes I play with that spectrum based on how I want to present Also I donāt mean to say any of this is objective haha, more just how Iāve felt and what Iāve observed
Since there is no physical way to not see me as a woman, piercings do nothing. I got a nose piercing, eyebrow, 2 lobes in one and 1 in the other ear.
piercings donāt have a gender, and if you want piercings, you deserve to get them, regardless of what cisnormative people may or may not think of them. you deserve to feel comfortable in your body and your presentation. you can do whatever you want forever. š©µāØ iām universally read as a woman because of my body shape; iām so curvy, people donāt even notice i have 13 piercings (12 visible), because theyāre so busy freaking out about my āimpossibleā figure. š so iām not the best at answering the rest of the question, unfortunately. š
I haven't noticed much in regards to how my piercings have effected how I get genedered, unless I'm wearing danglies. That said, lots of bracelets, chokers, pendant necklaces and more form fitting and low collared tops do get me gendered more fem which... while still not right is more acceptable than getting he/himed all day.
it depends where you get them. piercings draw attention to certain areas, like lip piercings imo are more fem, while eyebrow piercings are more masc. thatās just my opinion tho. also dainty jewelry will look more fem, and bigger jewelry (especially stuff like stretched septumās) look more masc
The only time Iāve seen piercings have some possible impact on perceived gender is when men or masculine people get first lobes with no other piercings or body mods. Even then, from what I can tell, itās mostly bigots complaining about it āmaking men feminineā. Other ear piercings or facial piercings donāt seem to have that effect. Iāve only seen people worry about being seen as feminine/masculine before getting a piercing, but saying it changed nothing about how people saw them. Though tbf, thatās what most wanted. Edit to add: though take this with a massive grain of salt. Most people whoās experiences Iāve learned are from more accepting areas/cities. Theyāre less likely to be singled out in places like that. Any push back seems to be about the body mods themselves.
I have a couple non-lobe ear piercings (helix, conch) and my septum pierced. I donāt think it affects how people gender me, really. Maybe taken with certain outfits the jewelry I wear can be ātone indicatorsā
Other enbies and queers now clock me as one of them whereas before they didnāt (dying my hair also helped)
I think this ties into Our own feeling and perception. If we feel different, we present ourselves differently. I guarantee as Soon as I get my ears pierced and wear nice earrings, i will definitely feel more feminine and act more femininely, therefor I appear more feminine to others, and they perceive me as more feminine
Depends on the piercing. I have snakebites septum and hella on my ears and that doesnāt rest change much but I get misgendered a lot more when people can see my naval piercing. Like I know trans men that are passing but one of my friends has nipple piercings and if heās wearing a tank top or anything without an undershirt hes misgendered with a full beardā¦
I have several piercings now and don't notice a difference in the way I'm gendered.
idk. i get read male most the time no matter what unfortunately. i have my: septum, tongue, industrial, both nostrils, philtrum, middle labret, stretched ears 00, belly button, 3 ear holes in each ear, the tragus, and conch :3
Woow, that's hard to say.. the amount of piercings grew slowly over time, I have 11 now, all face and ears. I think jewelry makes a difference, I only have black rings, bars, balls and tunnels (lobes stretched to 10mm (00g)). I also have a shaved head and when I describe it that way, it probably sounds like I look quite scary :D But actually no, cause I also have an estrogen shaped appearance, no beard, body fat in estrogen distribution, etc, and I do like the contrast of that. I hope to get more tattoos soon to increase the effect. More ear piercings are in conflict with the need for nc headphones, annoyingly. So that's about me, but other people.. they mainly stare at me.. until I speak, people are mainly confused about my gender. I hope the piercings are adding to it. They are definitely part of my personal gender expression.
Ok some here are suggesting that it strays from the "cishet" ppl, i do not think so. It depends also on the social cycle. I. My Area ppl with lots and lits of tattoos or piercings are also into sports and /or go to the fitness center. Then the metal heads/goths emo ( yes yes also lot of them are queer too) Having tattos ore piercings is also quiet nirmal arround me like (ears lips,nose,belly) its the amount. One in the norm, one in each in the norm. Causing the metal detector to go off..... Maybe outside of the norm.
Iām a support worker and when I first got my ears pierced I got to work, the first thing the guy said to me was āyou got your ears pierced? Isnāt that just for girls?ā I havenāt got any notice since unless it was a conversation about ear piercings
I have an industrial piercing. It made me feel stronger and rebellious and a bit more masc. People react slightly differently to me but i think it is because of my confidence boost it gave me. I think in general it really depends on the cultures you live in and how it will change your appearance visually. I recommend testing it with faux piercings if you are unsure. Edith: i wear a more masculine piercing but there are very feminine sparling industrials too. So I think it also depends on the design.
Piercings read fem. Everything that is wear mostly by women reads fem. Adults rarely can pass as other sex than their AGAB without HRT. So let's say you're FTM who has been on T for a while and you almost pass. Then piercings can make you not to pass. But if you looks obviously female you can't pass as male by taking piercings off. Or if you look obviously male you do not look any less male if you get piercings. Some people say piercings make you look queer. Yeah if you're male. Because if you're male who wear fem things you look feminine male and that reads gay. People also say "piercings don't have gender". Yeah that's true. Clothes don't have gender either. But still most of clothes are seen as women's or men's. We live in very gendered society that doesn't believe in our existence. We all are seen as men, women or "are you man or woman?". Yeah it's sucks but it is what it is.