Happily, we've moved on to a bold new era of snakes on penises, angel wings,'insert here' signs on butt cheeks and, yes, anal tattoos. But as EDGE recently found by talking with tattoo artists whose studios are located in gayborhoods, we've come a long way from the days when pink triangles and rainbow tattoos were all the rage.

On the other hand, maybe the fact that we'll use any feeble excuse to take our shirts off in public just makes it seem as if we have more tats than the general population.Īnd why not? The permanence, commitment and bold declaration of a tattoo is a fitting metaphor for men who live out, loud, proud lives in which sexuality is at the forefront of their identity.

Once the deed is done and you put it out there for the world to see, there's no turning back except for laser removal and reparative therapy (and while the former may work, the latter is pretty much discredited, unless you're Ted Haggard).Īlthough hard statistics are elusive, an anecdotal survey recently taken at a mixed straight/gay summertime cookout revealed that a disproportionate number of gay men seem to be owners of inked bodywork. Being openly gay is like getting a tattoo.