How the carabiner became a symbol of lesbian culture

How did the carabiner, the nautical star and (possibly) the lavender rhino become symbols in lesbian and sapphic culture? Let’s do a deep dive.

Today is Lesbian Visibility Day, uplifting and celebrating the lesbian community in all its diversity and glory.

The day rounds out Lesbian Visibility Week, creating powerful and important opportunities to increase visibility of lesbians while also shining a light on the challenges they continue to face.

The lesbian community has always been a powerful force in our rainbow community, and has often been our protectors without us even knowing.

Different symbols and iconography have represented lesbianism throughout the years, like the gay men’s hanky code, but where they came from is much more interesting.

From thumb rings to suits and undercuts, lesbian fashion continues to evolve.

But some remain as recognisable symbols of the women who love women.

The carabiner, aka the lesbian latch

A very handy tool for mountain climbing and industrial work, the carabiner also means a lot to queer people.

It made its way to the spring/summer runways in 2023, but there is actually a much longer history to this oblong metal loop with a spring-loaded gate’s female origins.

Women entered the industrial and blue-collar workforce during World War II while the men went to war.

Gender roles shifted, and women were not only entering traditionally male-dominated spaces but were also excelling in them.

There, it became a symbol for workforce trailblazers.

At the height of the feminist movement of the 70s, the carabiner was worn to reject traditional notions of femininity.

Society saw feminists, particularly lesbians, reject decorative accessories for practical ones as a statement of protest and power.

In the naughties, the recognition of its female queer symbolism grew.

@emmafairbank_ The girlies who get it get it !! #wlw #lesbian #carabiner #lgbt #fyp ♬ original sound – molly grace 🫶

American cartoonist Alison Bechdel resurged its queer prominence in her 2006 graphic novel memoir-turned-musical, Fun Home.

The story follows her through her youth in rural Pennsylvania, navigating a complicated relationship with her bisexual father.

In it, a butch working-class woman proudly swings a set of keys from her belt loop, and is the catalyst for Bechdel’s sexual awakening.

In 2016, Krista Burton wrote in The New York Times about the loss of the carabiner’s lesbian significance.

“Since you all wear carabiners as key chains, we lesbians no longer have any private signals to each other,” she wrote.

And Natalia Joseph wrote an article in 2018 titled, Carabiners, to let that Guy in your econ lecture know you’re not interested, which I desperately want to read.

But like most things, the carabiner has come full circle and is a powerful symbol for young queer people today.

The nautical star

Today, you would probably see the nautical star on rings, necklaces or other jewellery.

But it has a firm history in the lesbian community, and you may even see it tattooed on older women.

The nautical star is five-pointed, with alternating light and dark shades to resemble a compass rose.

Representing the North Star, it has served as a symbol of protection, safe passage, guidance, and good luck for sailors finding their way home.

It also signalled belonging to an underground sapphic community, raising prominence in Buffalo, New York, in the 1950s.

The star was a way lesbians could find one another without risking exposure.

Tattoos on a lesbian’s wrists allowed for visibility, but could also be hidden by a watch when needed, as being openly queer could see you harassed or fired from your job.

The nautical star is still a symbol of the sapphic community today.

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The lavender rhino (maybe)

This is an odd bit of queer history that may or may not be true

I’ve heard whispers about it for years in elder queer circles, but nothing I can find has outright confirmed it.

Apparently, for a short period, the rhino was a short-lived symbol of the lesbian movement.

I’ve been told the symbolism of the animal was because it was gentle but powerful. Others have said it was a way to claim butchness.

Is this fact or fiction?

I’ll let you make up your own mind.

Here’s the breakdown:

In the 50s, the U.S. government labelled thousands of gay men and women as “security risks” during what became known as the Lavender Scare.

Feminist and author of The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan, labelled lesbians in the feminist movement a lavender menace in 1969.

In 1970, a group of lesbian feminists adopted the name and stormed the stage at the Second Congress to Unite Women, demanding a seat at the feminist table.

That same year, in Boston, a series of ads created by Gay Media Action-Advertising encouraged lesbian and gay visibility.

Daniel Thaxton and Bernie Toale reimagined the rhino for a public ad campaign, which was chosen because it was a maligned and misunderstood animal.

Gay Media Action tried to run these ads in the lead-up to Boston’s Pride march in 1974.

The MBTA and Metro Transit Advertising approved the ad design, but tripled the cost of promotion.

Gay Media Action started a legal challenge.

The MBTA Board of Directors announced their decision to stand by the price increase in the first week of June.

In response, the Lavender Rhino debuted at Boston’s Pride march.

People wore t-shirts, pins and signs featuring it, and a life-sized papier-mâché Lavender Rhino travelled down the route.

Gay Media Action ended up raising enough money to begin circulation of the ads.

But even though that rhino was a joint venture by men and women, references to the rhino being a short-lived symbol of lesbianism keep popping up in my research.

And we’ve all heard about scissors

As the years progressed, some symbols gained prominence, while others disappeared.

Oysters, flowers, a U-Haul and scissors still sit in the modern day vernacular. The black triangle was used to signal lesbians in concentration camps.

A double-headed axe and a lipstick have been on lesbian flags, highlighting different subcultures.

And two interlocked female symbols or a snake have been used as well, aligning with femininity.

What matters is not whether these symbols represent a moment, a movement or something more; they empower.

They create a sense of connection, help build confidence and most importantly, visibility.

And that visibility can, and does, move mountains. Not just on days or weeks of significance, but every day.

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