69 Ways to Cruise With the Hanky Code Today

What are you into? If I was wearing my hankies, you’d know what I like. Hanky code hit its peak in the ’70s — an under-the-radar system used by gay men seeking casual sex and kinky playmates in the pre-internet era. Colored hankies in your back pocket (left pocket for “top,” right pocket for “bottom”) signified what sex you like and what you’re looking for.  

This was also called “bandana code” or “flagging.” As with most queer history, interpretations of the code differ. Different hanky code guides are on the internet, some with conflicting meanings. This slideshow is a composite of various online guides — with one major omission. Much of the original code focused on race (yellow with white stripe, right pocket, meant you wanted an Asian top; light blue with black dots, left pocket, meant you wanted a blow job from a black man). I’ve decided to halt our long history of racism and have removed these. Don’t see your favorite color/fetish here? Chalk it up to an underground system that was never officialized.

This is a hanky code guide for today — for guys who in 2017 are tired of hookup apps and ready to hit the streets. Let’s bring cruising back.