Gel bracelets, or jelly bracelets are an inexpensive type of wristband. They come in a variety of colors, and several can be worn on each arm. They have been popular in waves throughout the Western world and elsewhere since the 1980s.[1] One style of these wristbands, known as "awareness bracelets", carry debossed messages demonstrating the wearer's support of a cause or charitable organization.[2]
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The silicone wristband first became available in 2004 with the LIVESTRONG yellow band which was set up by American cyclist Lance Armstrong to raise awareness of cancer.[3].
Following the success of the livestrong campaign, silicone wristbands became available in a variety of colours representing different charities or campaigns. The most prominent wristbands are Make Poverty History (white), BBC's Beat Bullying (blue), Stand Up Speak Up (black and white), British Heart Foundation (red), kidney donation (green), breast cancer (light pink), Diabetes UK (pink), multiple sclerosis (orange), epilepsy (half blue, half red), Hurricane Katrina (ocean blue mixed with white), pancreatic cancer (purple), cystic fibrosis (purple) and AIDS (red, made only in Africa). In general, the color of the band describes its cause, and the colors are often the same as the colors of awareness ribbons. In the UK, a wristband is available from the charity Help for Heroes bearing the colours of the 3 armed forces: Red (Army), Navy Blue (Royal Navy) and Sky Blue (Royal Air Force).
The average price of the wristbands can be $1 or £1 and usually the majority of the money goes towards the charity involved. They are seen by young people as trendier than traditional charity pins which may explain their increase in popularity [4].
During a resurgence in popularity in 2003, gel bracelets became the subject of a widespread urban legend linking them to a supposed sex game explaining their popularity among young teenagers: they were subsequently dubbed "sex bracelets".[1][5][6] According to rumors, girls who wore the jewelry implied they were willing to engage in various acts with whoever pulled them from their wrists; the acts ranged from hugging and kissing to sexual intercourse, and were determined by the bracelet's color.
In October 2003, the rumors were prominent enough in Alachua Elementary School in Gainesville, Florida that the principal banned the bracelets to avert disruption and inappropriate comments about them.[7] They were subsequently banned in other schools around Florida and elsewhere.[1] The effectors of these early bans did not insinuate that the rumors were true; however, some later media reports suggested that they may have been,[8] generating something of a moral panic.[6] The meanings of the colours of the bands was reported in the British press in 2005.[9] A very similar set of stories surfaced (or re-surfaced) in the British media later in 2009, in which the bracelets were allegedly nicknamed shag bands.[10][11][12]
Different versions associate different colors with sex acts (similar to the handkerchief code). For example, purple might be associated with kissing, red with lapdancing, and black with intercourse. Some versions said the involved action occurs at parties held for the purpose, making them similar to contemporary rumors of "rainbow parties", a gathering at which groups of girls wearing varying shades of lipstick supposedly take turns fellating their classmates, leaving an array of colors on their penises. Other tales of teenage sex parties have circulated at various times. Folklorist Barbara Mikkelson of snopes.com associates the "sex bracelet" stories with similar ones of the past.[1] In the 1970s, pulltabs from aluminum cans and labels from beer bottles were supposedly considered "sex coupons" and obligated any girl presented with one to sleep with the bearer; by the 1990s the rumors shifted to include an assortment of plastic items, including some worn as bracelets. According to Mikkelson, there is likely little truth behind the stories, and the vast majority of teenagers who contact her site express shock and disappointment that so many have believed them.[1]
| Color | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Black | Intercourse[6][8] |
| Red | 69[6][8] |
| Blue | Oral sex[6][8] |
| White / Clear | Gay |
| Yellow | Hugging[8] |
| Pink | Flash breasts[12] |
| Green | Fondling[12] |
| Orange | Love bite[12] |
| Purple | Kissing[8] |
| Gold (Golden) | All of the above[12] |
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