The evolution of the Hanky Code from earlier forms of non-verbal communication, such as the key code, reflects the adaptability and creativity of the LGBTQ+ community in expressing sexual preferences and identities. The key code, where keys were worn on one side of the belt to signal whether someone was a "top" or a "bottom," served as a precursor to the more elaborate system of the Hanky Code that emerged in the 1970s.
The Hanky Code developed as a semiotic system of sexual advertising among the gay leather community and broader cruising scenes in the United States. Its origins are often attributed to a suggestion by a journalist for the Village Voice around 1970 in New York City. The journalist proposed that instead of using keys, wearing different colored handkerchiefs could serve as a more efficient way to announce one's sexual interests. This idea rapidly evolved and was adopted by queer communities, particularly in San Francisco, where businesses like The Trading Post began promoting handkerchiefs and printing cards listing their meanings, thereby expanding the original red–blue system into the extensive code we recognize today. Alan Selby, the founder of Mr. S Leather, also claimed to have contributed to the creation of the first Hanky Code to help sell an oversupply of bandanas by associating different colors with various sexual preferences and roles.
The Hanky Code allowed individuals to signal their sexual preferences and roles discreetly, with specific colors corresponding to particular practices or fetishes, and the pocket in which the bandana was worn (left for a dominant/top role and right for a submissive/bottom role) indicating the wearer's preferred sexual role. This code became a part of the queer lexicon and popular culture, with references appearing in literature, film, and art, documenting the once-underground phenomenon and contributing to the cultural record of emerging queer masculine identities.
Over the years, the Hanky Code has adapted to cultural shifts within the queer community, particularly in response to the HIV/AIDS crisis in the mid-1980s, which saw a decline in its use. However, it continued to be a part of the queer BDSM subculture, with new symbols like the black and white checkered handkerchief representing safer sex practices emerging in the early 1990s. By the late 1990s, the BDSM subculture began reinterpreting the Hanky Code through dress, incorporating fetishwear or gear with colors associated with the Hanky Code, allowing for more direct forms of sexual signaling and open expression of sexual identity.
Today, the Hanky Code remains a testament to the ingenuity of the LGBTQ+ community in navigating social constraints and expressing complex identities and desires. Its evolution from a covert signaling system to a celebrated aspect of queer culture highlights the ongoing importance of symbols in fostering a sense of identity and belonging within marginalized communities.
For more detailed historical insights and cultural impacts of the Hanky Code, you can explore further through sources like Wikipedia, The History Project, and other dedicated articles on the subject.