The acronym stands for “queer tattooer,” yet anyone who's received a tattoo from a queer artist knows the designation also reflects something more: a unique sensitivity to the needs of queer clients, many of whom have had complex, even traumatic experiences with their bodies.

Generally speaking, traditional tattoos in tribal cultures often seemed to be created with some sort of meaningful ritual. Doing ritual tattoos is basically bringing that meaning back to the process.” Any tattoo can be meaningful, regardless of whether or not it was done as part of a ritual.