By now society has warmed up to the fact that what people choose to do with their bodies, whether tattoos or piercing, is none of anybody’s business. We have began accepting that we shouldn’t judge their character by what we see dangling from their ears but like everyone else, we should look beyond what is on the surface. Previously the sight of a man wearing earrings or any other piercings would earn him a gay or unserious label, but increasingly there is liberty to get away with it. In the streets of Kigali it is now common to spot men dressed formally at the same time donning a stud and ready to go to office. So it is now moving from judging them for wearing earrings and accessories to judging them for how they wear them. To begin with, it is wise to find out your institution’s policy (whether school or workplace) on earrings and other piercings. No matter how liberal you are, there are no two ways about such policies. If you work in say a corporate firm where you are not locked in some backroom office, your choice of earring should be moderate if you have to. On working days, sticking to a small stud with minimal embellishments is a good idea as it does not draw a lot of attention to it and it is not distractive. Silver or gold should be according to one’s complexion and preference. Hoops for men are for the daring, a moderately sized hoop is as good as a stud as long as it doesn’t come off as girlish. When most debates and discussions on men donning earrings come up, there is usually a question of which ear means what. Some argue that a stud on the right ear is a proclamation of his sexual preference, while the left is for straight men who only want some ‘bling’ added to their outfit. These arguments have been supported and trashed based on tales of the ancient Egyptians and sailors amongst others. Where one chooses to put the accessory should not be the reason of debate, one should be free to put it in any ear, or both, based on their reasons for doing it. Like other uncommon trends and traits, to have people cut you some slack for being unique with an earring, it is best to ensure that the rest of the outfit does you justice.
