Hanky Codes

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The Hanky Code (also known as the handkerchief code, the bandana code, and flagging) is a color-coded system, employed usually among the gay male or practitioners in the leather subculture in the United States, Canada, and Europe, to indicate preferred sexual fetishes, what kind of sex they are seeking, and whether they are a top/dominant (worn on the left) or bottom/submissive (worn on the right).

The origins of the Hanky Codes dates back to American cowboy during the mid- and late-nineteenth century. It is thought that the wearing of bandanas which was a common partice for 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). The modern hanky code started in New York City sometime in the late 1970 – early 1971 and has became a staple of the modern leather culture.

The first chart below shows the twelve most popular (as well as distinguable) colors in the Hanky Code, as well as their meaning listed just under the color name. The succeeding chart is the long list of colors and items.