Color-coded, this system has been historically used by gay men to indicate preferred sexual fetishes, what kind of sex they are seeking, and whether they are a top or bottom. The handkerchief code (also known as the hanky code, the bandana code and flagging) is the wearing of various colored bandanas around the neck was common in the mid- and late-nineteenth century among cowboys, steam railroad engineers and miners in the Western United States. Here, we take a look at the tools gay men have historically used to determine who is into what.
But questions like “into” and “looking for” have been around a lot longer than the dating apps we use today to ask them. Some may think that the gay community’s obsession with finding out the sexual proclivities of a potential partner is a trend of today.
