What Does a Blue Star Tattoo Mean?
Star tattoos vary in meaning depending on the number of points, shading and incorporation into other tattoo designs on the same area of skin. Blue star tattoos in particular are associated with an urban legend about LSD.
The urban legend about blue star tattoos is that drug dealers market LSD to children in the form of a removable tattoo of a blue star. Although the legend is not associated with permanent tattoos, some may get a permanent blue star tattoo in reference to the drug. A six-pointed, square-edged blue star is called the star of life and is associated with emergency medical personnel. Five-pointed star tattoos have been very popular with soldiers and sailors to signify safe passage home, and with LGBT people to flag interest in the same sex. Stars as used by these groups can be of any color.
The blue star tattoo hoax was resurrected in Connecticut in 1992. It was eventually passed around the country and world via chain emails and has recently appeared on Facebook and other social media websites. Many schools even held evening assemblies to inform parents about the side effects of LSD.
Immediately after the rumor broke, many cartoon characters, especially Disney characters, were boycotted because they had blue stars on their outfits or accessories.
