Of course, sexual preference often can’t be summed up so neatly, and neither can identity. A carabiner doesn’t suggest the wearer identifies as a lesbian, or even as a woman at all. I wear a carabiner as a signifier of my queerness as a non-binary person, rather than as a gay woman. Similarly, many butch lesbians (including icons such as Leslie Feinberg, author of Stone Butch Blues) also express their gender identities in ways that go far beyond the rigid boundaries of male and female. And of course, it could simply be that the hottie you see on your commute with the hardware attached to their belt isn’t queer at all and just has a propensity for forgetting their work badge.