June’s ear tag is one of the most notable pieces of her outfit in The Handmaid’s Tale, and here’s what it is and why she won’t remove it. There is all kinds of worldbuilding within The Handmaid’s Tale, with the world of Gilead forcing all kinds of strange practices and traditions on its subjects. The ear tag that can be seen on June is one of the most interesting examples of this, with it tying into the broader practices of The Handmaid’s Tale‘s dystopian world of Gilead.

The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 has finally arrived, with it wrapping up Hulu’s hit adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel. June has been through a lot during her time in Gilead and outside of it, with her constantly having to face new challenges and hardships as she attempts to take down Gilead and get her daughter Hannah back. Although June is now outside of Gilead, with her only sneaking back into the country for Mayday missions, she still has many scars from her time within the oppressive country, both mental and physical.

All Handmaids Are Forced To Wear Ear Tags – Are They Trackers?

& Several Other Theories

In the world of The Handmaid’s Tale, the handmaids are forced to go through a variety of dehumanizing treatments, and the ear tags are one of them. Every handmaid in Gilead is forced to wear an ear tag, with them being clamped to their upper ear. Throughout her time in Gilead, June has had two ear tags. Although she now lives outside of Gilead, June still chooses to wear her ear tag, which many fans consider a strange choice based on the tag’s potential uses.

A common misconception within The Handmaid’s Tale fanbase is that the ear tags are GPS trackers. However, within the world of the show, this has never been confirmed. Instead, the GPS tracker belief is just a fan theory. Another theory is that these ear tags use RFID to identify handmaids, similarly to how RFID tags are used on cattle. It could also be that the ear tags are just used to create fear in the handmaids, with them being led to believe that they have GPS trackers in them. If they did, however, Gilead wouldn’t have so much trouble finding some of the runaways, especially considering that June is still wearing hers.

June Did Remove Her Ear Tag Before

In The Handmaid’s Tale Season 2

June has had an ear tag on for the majority of The Handmaid’s Tale, but not for the entire time. In The Handmaid’s Tale season 2, June attempts to escape Gilead once again. Part of her strategy involved her cutting off her own ear tag. The brutal, bloody, and memorable scene sees June cut off a chunk of her own ear, removing some of her cartilage with the tag. This could have come with the fear that the ear tag was a GPS tracker, with June believing that she wouldn’t be caught if she removed the tag.

Sadly, when June was recaptured, she was forced to get another ear tag. This second ear tag is the one that is still on June in the final season of The Handmaid’s Tale, with her continuing to wear it even after escaping Gilead. The ear tag could have been removed once she got to Canada, with June’s decision to keep the tag creating an interesting thematic element.

Why June Won’t Remove Her Ear Tag A Second Time

It Acts As A Reminder Of Gilead

When asked about the ear tag, June explains that she is going to keep wearing it, with her only removing it once all of the handmaids are free. This is a powerful statement, as June is seemingly refusing to forget her past until she stops Gilead from being the present of so many others. Many fans hope that we will get to see June remove the tag at the end of The Handmaid’s Tale season 6, finally ridding herself of Gilead forever.

Sadly, this moment probably won’t be happening in The Handmaid’s Tale. Hulu has already announced The Testaments, a sequel series based on Margaret Atwood’s 2019 book of the same name. The Testaments takes place several years after The Handmaid’s Tale, with Gilead still reigning supreme. Although more and more individuals are turning against Gilead, things like the ear tag are still in place, meaning that June can’t reach her goal in Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale.