Jockstrap: the iconic masculine underwear of gay culture

What is a jockstrap?

You see it in sports locker rooms, in gay backrooms, at leather fetish parties, and now as streetwear. Understanding the history of the gay jockstrap means understanding how a piece of functional sports gear turned into a clear gay sex code and a core item of masculine underwear.

A jockstrap is a piece of male underwear made of three parts: a thick elastic waistband, a supportive front pouch, and two straps that run under the butt and attach back into the waistband. The result: strong lift and framing in the front, total exposure in the back. Today the jockstrap exists in cotton, microfiber, athletic mesh, leather, neoprene, even transparent mesh. It’s worn for support at the gym, for cruising, for fetish nights, and as daily underwear when you want something openly sexual.

History of the jockstrap: from bike couriers to gay clubs

1870–1900: invention of the jockstrap for sport

The jockstrap appears in the late 19th century. Around 1874, an “athletic supporter” was designed for bicycle messengers riding fast over cobblestone streets. Goal: hold the balls in place and absorb shock. It wasn’t erotic, it was protection. Very quickly it was adopted by cyclists, wrestlers, rugby players, American football players and hockey players. The jockstrap became standard men’s locker room gear.

20th century: mandatory locker room gear

Through the first half of the 20th century, the jockstrap is everywhere in male sports. Athletes wear either the classic support version or the version with a hard cup to shield the crotch from impact. In group showers and locker rooms, bodies are lined up in nothing but a jockstrap: thick waistband, exposed ass, tight thighs. That visual — sweat, muscle, ass on display — quietly feeds gay fantasy long before gay sex can be spoken about openly.

1950s–1960s: from sport to underground erotics

From the 1950s onward, the jockstrap starts showing up in “physique” and bodybuilding photography sold as fitness culture but clearly read as homoerotic. The message is obvious: raw masculinity, thighs framed, ass lifted by straps. The jockstrap stops being only protective gear and becomes a fetish image of the male body.

1970s: the jockstrap becomes a gay code

After the gay liberation of the 1970s and the rise of leather and fetish scenes in cities like San Francisco and New York, the jockstrap moves from the sports locker room to the leather bar. It becomes a sexual uniform. This is when the gay jockstrap explodes: it’s no longer just athletic support, it’s a signal in backrooms, darkrooms and cruising clubs. Boots, harness, collar, jockstrap. The message is direct: here for sex between guys, no filter.

1980s–1990s: leather, fetish and hard gay sex

In the 1980s and 1990s the jockstrap becomes a mark of hardcore gay culture: leather nights, piss play, fisting, BDSM, underground flyers, gay porn. The white or black jock with a thick waistband is as recognizable as a chest harness. It’s code: ass visible, availability, anal focus. For an entire generation, the jockstrap stops being sports underwear and becomes gay language.

2000s to today: from the backroom into mainstream

From the 2000s on, gay and fetish brands start producing jockstraps built to be seen, not hidden under shorts. Neon colors, big logo waistbands, extreme front lift, breathable tech fabrics or totally transparent mesh, leather or neoprene versions for fetish parties, cuts with cockring-style openings. The jockstrap leaves the darkroom and shows up in fashion shoots, social media and queer clubwear. Today a leather jockstrap, a sport jockstrap, a mesh jockstrap or a “rugby team” jockstrap are basic gear in gay masculine style.

Why the jockstrap became a gay symbol

A piece of gear that shows the ass, openly

The jockstrap design leaves the ass completely uncovered. No back panel. It supports the front and puts the rear on display. In gay sex, where the ass is central (visual, tactile, anal), that matters. The jockstrap puts the ass front and center and sexualizes the most coded zone in gay cruising culture.

Reclaiming the “straight locker room” look

The jockstrap started as the uniform of the stereotypical straight athlete: rugby, football, hockey. Gay culture takes that uniform, loads it with sex, and claims it. Wearing a jockstrap in a leather bar says: the hyper-masculine locker-room aesthetic doesn’t just belong to straight guys. It’s ours too, and here it’s openly gay.

Instant visual code

Showing up to a fetish night or sex club in nothing but a jockstrap and boots already communicates everything. No need to talk. The jockstrap works like a flag. It says: direct sex, masculine body on display, zero taboo. In a lot of leather and fetish parties, the jockstrap is basically the dress code, same as a chest harness, latex gloves or a pup hood.

A celebration of the male body

The jockstrap lifts up front, frames the package, locks in the thighs and leaves the ass free, visible, available. It’s a celebration of the real male body: thick legs, hair, mass, muscle. The jockstrap doesn’t hide anything. It says: the male body isn’t ashamed. For many gay guys, that’s raw pride.

The main types of jockstraps today

Classic sport jockstrap

The old-school athletic version. Wide white or black waistband, cotton or breathable mesh pouch, strong straps under the butt. Built for support during training, crossfit, rugby or football. Visual: real locker room, sweat, contact, aggression.

Leather / neoprene fetish jockstrap

Worn at leather parties, hardcore clubs and fetish events. Pouch in leather or thick neoprene, wide black waistband with metal rings, aggressive look, usually paired with a harness, boots or cuffs. This is the jockstrap for exposed ass, body contact and dom/sub play.

Fashion / clubwear jockstrap

A stylized version for queer club nights, Pride, sex parties. Bright colors, logo waistband, transparent mesh, cockring cut-outs, fluorescent contrast. This isn’t about athletic protection, it’s about eye contact, arousal signal and sexual messaging. It’s the jockstrap you see all over social media.

Everyday jockstrap / under jeans

More and more guys wear a jockstrap as daily underwear. Reasons: support (everything stays where it should), control when you move, no fabric over the ass so no underwear line under jeans. Plus the mental boost: you know exactly what you’ve got under the denim, and what it says if the waistband shows.

How to choose your jockstrap

1. Size and support

A good jockstrap should support the front without cutting circulation. The pouch needs to be snug but not painful. The waistband should sit tight without rolling. The straps under the butt shouldn’t pinch when you sit or bend.

2. Material

Cotton or microfiber for gym and daily wear. Mesh, sheer fabric and tight technical textiles for a more explicit, highly defined look. Leather or neoprene for fetish, leather aesthetics, dominance and hardcore club nights.

3. Use

If you want it for gym training: choose a sport jockstrap with good breathability. For cruising, backrooms or darkrooms: choose a gay jockstrap with a fully open rear and a very pronounced pouch. For a leather / fetish outfit: go for a leather jockstrap with a solid waistband and metal rings you can clip to a harness or gear.

The jockstrap as a statement

The jockstrap went from basic protection for bike couriers to hardcore gay sex uniform to full-on fashion piece. A jockstrap is not just “a brief with no back.” It’s a symbol of reclaimed masculinity, visible gay sexuality and pride in the male body. Whether it’s a classic white sport jock or a thick black leather jockstrap, the message is the same: the male body doesn’t hide. It’s on display and it’s claimed.