Handkerchief code

Last updated
An assortment of handkerchiefs displayed in the back pockets of a man's jeans Hankycode.jpg
An assortment of handkerchiefs displayed in the back pockets of a man's jeans

The handkerchief code (also known as the hanky code, the bandana code, and flagging) [1] is a system of color-coded cloth handkerchief or bandanas for non-verbally communicating one's interests in sexual activities and fetishes. The color of the handkerchief identifies a particular activity, and the pocket it is worn in (left or right) identifies the wearer's preferred role in that activity. Wearing a handkerchief on the left side of the body typically indicates one is a "top" (considered active in the act/fetish indicated by the color of the handkerchief) while wearing it on the right side of the body would indicate one is a "bottom" (considered passive in it). For example, a dark blue handkerchief indicates an interest in anal sex, and wearing it in the left pocket indicates a preference for being the penetrating partner. The code was first used in the 1970s in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe, by gay and bisexual men seeking casual sex or BDSM practitioners. Over time the colors and types of apparel in use have greatly proliferated.

Contents

Origin

Two men using the hanky code Handkerchief code.jpg
Two men using the hanky code

The wearing of colored bandanas around the neck as a practical accessory was common in the mid- and late-nineteenth century among cowboys, steam railroad engineers, and miners in the Western United States. It is thought that the wearing of bandanas by gay men originated in San Francisco after the Gold Rush, when, because of a shortage of women, men dancing with each other in square dances developed a code wherein the man wearing the blue bandana took the male part in the square dance, and the man wearing the red bandana took the female part (these bandanas were usually worn around the arm or hanging from the belt or in the back pocket of one's jeans). [2]

In the 1970s, the modern hanky code developed as a semiotic system of sexual advertising popular among the gay leather community of the United States [3] and cruising scene more broadly. Businesses across the country used the hanky code in advertisements to gay clientele. [4] [5]

The origin of the modern hanky code is disputed. The modern hanky code is often reported to have started in New York City around 1970, when a journalist for the Village Voice jested that instead of simply wearing a set of keys on one side or the other (then a common code to indicate whether someone was a "top" or a "bottom"), it would be more efficient to subtly announce their particular sexual focus by wearing different colored handkerchiefs. [6] [7] [8] However, other sources attribute the expansion of the original red–blue system into today's code to marketing efforts around 1971 by The Trading Post, a San Francisco department store for erotic merchandise, promoting handkerchiefs by printing cards listing the meanings of various colors. [9] Meanwhile, Alan Selby, founder of Mr. S Leather in San Francisco, claimed that he created the first hanky code with his business partners at Leather 'n' Things in 1972, when their bandana supplier inadvertently doubled their order and the expanded code would help them sell the extra colors they had received. [10]

Around 1980, Bob Damron's Address Book published a yearly chart for the meaning of each colored handkerchief. [2]

Color Codes from Bob Damron's Address Book (1980) Color Codes.jpg
Color Codes from Bob Damron's Address Book (1980)

Examples

There is no single authoritative standard for the code, but there is broad agreement on the definition of certain colors. This table is drawn from Larry Townsend's The Leatherman's Handbook II (the 1983 second edition; the 1972 first edition did not include this list) and is generally considered authoritative. Implicit in this list is the concept of left/right polarity, left as usual indicating the top, dominant, or active partner; right the bottom, submissive, or passive partner. Townsend noted that discussion with a prospective partner is still important because people may wear a given color "only because the idea of the hankie turns them on" or "may not even know what it means". [11]

ColorMeaning
  Black S&M
  Dark Blue Anal sex
  Light Blue Oral sex
  Brown Scat
  Green Hustler/prostitution
  Grey Bondage
  OrangeAnything goes
  Purple Piercing
  Red Fisting
  Yellow Pissing

Longer, more elaborate lists may be found online, but many of the color variations in them are less often used in practice.

Present day

The hanky code has recently undergone a revival and while the use of handkerchiefs may not be as prevalent, the hanky colors are a common consideration in the choice of leather and fetish gear color. [12]

A red hanky signifies interest in fisting Red-Hanky-Handkerchief-Code.jpg
A red hanky signifies interest in fisting

According to the Schwules Museum, the creation of the leather pride flag in 1989 marked "a turning point in the history of the mostly gay leather and BDSM movements: moving away from secret signs and symbols (hanky cloths, for example) to more obvious and public visibility, both in the gay scene and society in general." [13]

Social media may have lessened the use of hankies in cruising areas by digitizing the process. By using online platforms, men who have sex with men (MSM) can eliminate harassment and violence that they may face in public. [14] Social networking services for MSM allow them to easily identify sexual interests without the need for physical apparel. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fisting</span> Sex act

Fisting—also known as fist fucking (FF), handballing, and brachioproctic or brachiovaginal insertion—is a sexual activity that involves inserting one or more hands into the rectum or the vagina. Fisting may be performed on oneself (self-fisting) or performed on one person by another. People who engage in fisting are often called "fisters".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bondage (BDSM)</span> Consensual sexual binding or restraining

Bondage, in the BDSM subculture, is the practice of consensually tying, binding, or restraining a partner for erotic, aesthetic, or somatosensory stimulation. A partner may be physically restrained in a variety of ways, including the use of rope, cuffs, bondage tape, or self-adhering bandage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leather subculture</span> Subculture involving leather garments

Leather subculture denotes practices and styles of dress organized around sexual activities that involve leather garments, such as leather jackets, vests, boots, chaps, harnesses, or other items. Wearing leather garments is one way that participants in this culture self-consciously distinguish themselves from mainstream sexual cultures. Many participants associate leather culture with BDSM practices and its many subcultures. For some, black leather clothing is an erotic fashion that expresses heightened masculinity or the appropriation of sexual power; love of motorcycles, motorcycle clubs and independence; and/or engagement in sexual kink or leather fetishism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leather pride flag</span> Symbol used by leather and fetish subcultures

The leather pride flag is a symbol of leather subculture as well as kink and fetish subcultures more broadly, including BDSM. The flag was designed by Tony DeBlase in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Folsom Street Fair</span> BDSM and leather fair in San Francisco

Folsom Street Fair (FSF) is an annual BDSM and leather subculture street fair, held in September that concludes San Francisco's "Leather Pride Week". The Folsom Street Fair, sometimes referred to simply as "Folsom", takes place on the last Sunday in September, on Folsom Street between 8th and 13th Streets, in San Francisco's South of Market district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver (color)</span> Metallic color tone resembling gray

Silver or metallic gray is a color tone resembling gray that is a representation of the color of polished silver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lime (color)</span> Shade of yellow-green

Lime is a color that is a shade of yellow-green, so named because it is a representation of the color of the citrus fruit called limes. It is the color that is in between the web color chartreuse and yellow on the color wheel. Alternate names for this color included yellow-green, lemon-lime, lime green, or bitter lime.

Over the course of its history, the LGBT community has adopted certain symbols for self-identification to demonstrate unity, pride, shared values, and allegiance to one another. These symbols communicate ideas, concepts, and identity both within their communities and to mainstream culture. The two symbols most recognized internationally are the pink triangle and the rainbow flag.

Feminist sexology is an offshoot of traditional studies of sexology that focuses on the intersectionality of sex and gender in relation to the sexual lives of women. Sexology has a basis in psychoanalysis, specifically Freudian theory, which played a big role in early sexology. This reactionary field of feminist sexology seeks to be inclusive of experiences of sexuality and break down the problematic ideas that have been expressed by sexology in the past. Feminist sexology shares many principles with the overarching field of sexology; in particular, it does not try to prescribe a certain path or "normality" for women's sexuality, but only observe and note the different and varied ways in which women express their sexuality. It is a young field, but one that is growing rapidly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clothing fetish</span> Sexual fetish relating to particular type of clothing

Clothing fetishism or garment fetishism is a sexual fetish that revolves around a fixation upon a particular article or type of clothing, a particular fashion or uniform, or a person dressed in such a style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gay sex roles</span> Positions during sexual activity

In human sexuality, top, bottom, and versatile are roles during sexual activity, especially between two men. A top is usually a person who penetrates, a bottom is usually one who receives penetration, and someone who is versatile engages in either or both roles. These terms may be elements of self-identity that indicate an individual's usual preference and habits, but might also describe broader sexual identities and social roles.

Chicken can be used, usually by gay men referring to other gay men, to mean a young gay man or young-appearing gay man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BDSM in culture and media</span> Stories, books and media about bondage

BDSM is a frequent theme in culture and media, including in books, films, television, music, magazines, public performances and online media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy Baldwin</span> American psychotherapist and author (born 1946)

Guy Baldwin is an American psychotherapist, author, activist, and educator specializing in issues of particular relevance to the BDSM and leather communities. Based in Los Angeles, he maintains that inclusion of non-injurious elements of sadomasochism in a consenting sexuality does not itself indicate or confirm mental illness or psycho-sexual dysfunction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rex (artist)</span> American artist (1943–2024)

REX was an American visual artist and illustrator closely associated with gay fetish art of 1970s and 1980s New York and San Francisco. He avoided photographs and did not discuss his personal life. His drawings influenced gay culture through graphics made for nightclubs including the Mineshaft and his influence on artists such as Robert Mapplethorpe. Much censored, he remained a shadowy figure, saying that his drawings "defined who I became" and that there are "no other 'truths' out there". REX died in Amsterdam in late March 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hun (cartoonist)</span> American cartoonist Bill Schmeling (1938–2019)

Bill Schmeling, better known by his pen name The Hun, was an American artist active in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century, known for his explicit, homoerotic fetish illustrations and comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dom Orejudos</span> American artist, dancer, and choreographer (1933–1991)

Domingo Francisco Juan Esteban "Dom" Orejudos, Secundo, also widely known by the pen names Etienne and Stephen, was an openly gay artist, ballet dancer, and choreographer, best known for his ground-breaking masculine gay male erotica beginning in the 1950s. Along with artists George Quaintance and Touko Laaksonen – with whom he became friends – Orejudos' leather-themed art promoted an image of gay men as strong and masculine, as an alternative to the then-dominant stereotype as weak and effeminate. With his first lover and business partner Chuck Renslow, Orejudos established many landmarks of late-20th-century gay male culture, including the Gold Coast bar, Man's Country bathhouse, the International Mr. Leather competition, Chicago's August White Party, and the magazines Triumph, Rawhide, and Mars. He was also active and influential in the Chicago ballet community.

Alan Selby (1929–2004), born Alan Henry Sniders, was an English-born American gay businessman and leader in the San Francisco leather community. He was known by many as "the Mayor of Folsom Street". He claimed to have created the first hanky code with his business partners at Leather 'n' Things in 1972, when their bandana supplier inadvertently doubled their order and the expanded code would help them sell the extra colors they had received. However, other sources dispute this being the origin of the hanky code.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasty Pig</span> American mens fashion brand

Nasty Pig is an American men's fashion brand, based in New York City. The gay-owned company was founded in 1994 by Frederick Kearney and David Lauterstein, who serve as creative director and chief executive officer, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold Coast (bar)</span> Gay leather bar in Chicago

Gold Coast was a leather bar for gay men in Chicago that operated from 1960 to 1988. It was one of the first bars created by and for the gay leather community in the United States. For most of its 28 year history, between 1967 and 1984, the bar was located at 501 North Clark Street adjacent to Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood. This was also the period of its legendary basement, called The Pit. It was one of several gay businesses owned and operated by Chuck Renslow. The bar's founding led to the establishment of other gay businesses nearby, creating a kind of "gay district" in the area.

References

  1. Andrews, Vincent (2010). The Leatherboy Handbook. The Nazca Plains Corp. ISBN   978-1-61098-046-3.
  2. 1 2 Kacala, Alexander (April 25, 2019). "The Handkerchief Code, According to 'Bob Damron's Address Book' in 1980". The Saint Foundation. The Saint. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  3. Reilly, Andrew; Saethre, Eirik J. (2013-10-01). "The hankie code revisited: From function to fashion". Critical Studies in Men's Fashion. 1: 69–78. doi:10.1386/csmf.1.1.69_1.
  4. "More than just a theatre! Big Top (UC12330163)". USC Libraries. Retrieved 2024-07-08 via ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives.
  5. "Bandana night, every Tuesday : Larry's, 5414 Melrose Los Angeles (UC12351950)". USC Libraries via ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives.
  6. Stryker, Susan; Van Buskirk, Jim (1996). Gay by the Bay: A History of Queer Culture in the San Francisco Bay Area. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. p. 18. ISBN   0-8118-1187-5.
  7. Hsieh, Carina (2020-07-02). "What Is the Hanky Code?". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  8. "Fifty Shades of Gay – The Hanky Code". Ambush Magazine. 2019-04-23. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  9. Fischer, Hal (1977). Gay Semiotics ♂. San Francisco: NFS Press. ISBN   0-917986-03-2. Archived from the original on 2019-10-18. Retrieved 2017-06-23. In San Francisco, the signs began appearing around 1971. The Trading Post, a department store specializing in erotic merchandise, began promoting handkerchiefs in the store and printing cards with their meanings. The red and blue handkerchiefs and their significance were already in existence, and meanings were assigned to other colors as well.
  10. Jones, Jordy (2017). The Mayor of Folsom Street, The Auto/Biography of "Daddy Alan" Selby aka Mr. S. Fair Page Media LLC. pp. 61–62. ISBN   978-0-9989098-0-6.
  11. Townsend, Larry (1983). The Leatherman's Handbook II. New York: Modernismo Publications. p. 26. ISBN   0-89237-010-6.
  12. Networks, Hornet (2022-02-11). "We're Loving the Push to Revive the Hanky Code for a New Queer Population". Hornet. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  13. "Object of the Month May: Leather Pride Flag". Schwules Museum . Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  14. 1 2 Filice, Eric; Raffoul, Amanda; Meyer, Samantha B.; Neiterman, Elena (2019-07-05). "The Impact of Social Media on Body Image Perceptions and Bodily Practices among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Critical Review of the Literature and Extension of Theory". Sex Roles. 82 (7–8): 387–410. doi: 10.1007/s11199-019-01063-7 . ISSN   1573-2762. S2CID   198629523.
  15. "Erotic Hands". AEBN . Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  16. Halford, Rob (2020). Confess. Headline Publishing Group. p. 163. ISBN   978-1-4722-6928-7.
  17. Reynolds, Daniel (2017-02-08). "Is This Raunchy Music Video Art or Explicit Content?". The Advocate . Retrieved 2024-01-15.

Further reading