Before discussing the bracelet code at straw events among colleagues, let's talk about the handkerchief code for a better understanding of its use.
Handkerchief Code
The handkerchief code (translation of the English handkerchief code and also known as hanky code or flagging) is a means of non-verbal communication used in different social and political contexts, so the meaning of a type of handkerchief depends on its color, pattern, and the part of the body where a person wears it. Currently, its uses are mostly aesthetic and are widely used in the fashion world, but they encompass a wide range of utilities and meanings beyond being mere accessories; it will always depend on people taking certain colors as symbolism of a movement in a specific era.
Origins
A type of handkerchief with a wide extension over time is the Paisley bandana and its characteristic patterns called "cashmere", whose origins date back to ancient Persia and represent the natural forms of dew from flowers and trees, like the cypress, in representation of the symbolism of life and eternity of the Zoroastrian religion, typical of the Persians from the 6th century BC. Until Western societies began to adopt them, in Asian or Hindu regions they also symbolized fertility and a cluster of ideologies that ended up being lost when they were treated as accessories in Europe in the early 18th century and spread through various English and later American subcultures.
Handkerchiefs and Cowboys
Cowboys were riders (or more commonly cowhands) hired to take care of cattle. Popular culture and 1930s cinema popularized the figure of these riders and often stereotyped their attire, including the bandanas they used for horseback rides and to protect themselves from dust or sand in the arid areas of Mexico and the United States. Wearing colored bandanas around the neck was common in the mid to late 19th century among cowboys, railroad engineers, and miners in the western United States, who also used them for ideological or utilitarian reasons.
Handkerchiefs and Rock and Political Culture
Handkerchiefs spread among rock communities in the 1950s and 60s, so the rock movement was for many years the main reason for the use of these accessories, added to the fact that it was the predominant genre for decades in the music scene, its styles and combinations when worn on the head, wrist, or clothing spread to subcultures and street bands, for example, among bikers or revolutionaries. Over time, colors have been popularly politicized with certain movements, so depending on the country, the color of the handkerchief, and the context in which it is used, it can indicate the ideological position of the person wearing it.
Handkerchief Code in the LGBT+ Community
In the gay scene, generally in places where casual sexual relationships are sought or in leather culture venues where BDSM is practiced, to indicate the sexual practice one is interested in, the preferred sexual fetishes, and whether one is active or passive. The use of the handkerchief code became widespread among gayand American bisexuals in the early 1970s, and later in the rest of the Western world.This color code consists of wearing a handkerchief of a color, usually hanging from the back pockets of pants, tied to the belt loops, or around the arm.The handkerchief placed on the left side indicates that one is active —or the one performing the action indicated by the color of the handkerchief— and on the right, passive —or the one receiving the action indicated by the color of the handkerchief—. This left/right polarity originated in the use of a keychain on the left loop by the active individuals and on the right by the passive individuals belonging to the leather culture. Handkerchiefs can also be worn tied around the neck —indicating that one is versatile, meaning that one both performs and receives the action indicated by the color of the handkerchief—, with the knot on the left or right, on the ankle, or in other parts of the body. In addition to handkerchiefs, the code can also be signaled with leather bracelets and plastic wristbands of the same colors. Although there is a general consensus on the meaning of basic colors (yellow for urolagnia, white for masturbation, brown for coprophilia, and black for sadomasochism), there are more than one extended list of colors, so the meaning of some of them can change regionally.
It is believed that gay men in San Francisco took the idea of using handkerchiefs after the California Gold Rush (1848-1855) —a time when, due to the lack of women, men enjoyed dancing the square dance with other men, developing a color code to indicate each person's role in the dance: those wearing a blue bandana would play the role of men and those wearing a red bandana, the role of women—. These handkerchiefs were worn tied to the arm, hanging from the belt, or the back pocket of jeans. Another theory about the origin of the handkerchief code points to its appearance in New York City in the late 1970s or early 1971 when a journalist from the weekly The Village Voice joked that instead of giving clues to indicate if one was active or passive, it would be easier to subtly announce it by wearing handkerchiefs of different colors.
Colors
The basic and most generalized list consists of eleven colors. The left/right polarity is implicit in all the colors on the list: placing the handkerchief on the left indicates a desire to be the active or dominant member of the couple or the one performing the action, while on the right indicates a desire to be the passive or submissive member of the couple or the one receiving the action, according to each color —however, this can be ambiguous in some cases: for example, the light blue handkerchief on the left indicates a desire for oral sex and on the right, performing oral sex.
Color
Meaning
Golden showers
Oral sex
Anal sex
Masturbation
Bondage
Scat
People with piercings
Any practice
S&M
Fisting
Prostitute
In addition to handkerchiefs, leather bracelets or plastic wristbands of the same code can also be used.
Bracelet Codes at PeC Events
Understanding these colors, we move on to identify the bracelets at Straw Events among colleagues. Level 1 / Level 2 Events
