Flagging Red

The hanky code emerged during the sexual revolution as a way for gay men to signal their sexual interests to other men while in public spaces. The code likely had its origins with fisters, who utilized red handkerchiefs in rear pockets to locate others who shared an interest in fisting.

The code was adopted by the leather and BDSM community and adapted to cover a wide range of proclivities, including colors for piss play, domination, scat, and more. As the AIDS epidemic reshaped public cruising and sexual behavior, flagging and the hanky code fell into disuse.

Today in queer spaces, red attire or gear—including, but not limited to, hankies—has re-emerged as a clear declaration of one’s openness to or enthusiasm for fisting.

Glenn Hughes
Figure 1.1: Glenn Hughes — YMCA Fister

Glenn Hughes proudly wore the red hanky at all Village People appearances and to The Mineshaft, NYC's fisting sex club .

Strategic Positioning

A red hanky worn in the right pocket indicates a preference for taking fists. When worn in the left pocket, a fister indicates that he prefers topping. When worn as a kerchief around the neck, it denotes versatility.

VOCABULARY

Kerchief

  1. Noun a piece of fabric used to cover the head, or worn tied around the neck.
    Example: Elias wore a paisley red kerchief around his neck to let others know he liked taking and giving fists.
John Wayne
Figure 1.2: John Wayne Signature Red Kerchief

Cowboys typically wore kerchiefs to filter out dust on the trail rather than indicate their fisting deviancies.

Gear and Attire

Wearing red handkerchiefs or red paisley clothing in public areas is not always indicative of fisting or homosexuality, as some people are unaware of the hanky code. At gay venues and events, such as bars or circuit parties, wearing red leather arm bands and harnesses, red latex/rubber, red paisley clothing, red hankies, or red kerchiefs boldly declares one's fisting proclivities.

Bold Declaration (95% Certainty)
  • Red or Black and Red Leather Harnesses
  • Red or Black and Red Leather Armbands
  • Red or Red Paisley Hankies in Queer Spaces
  • Red or Red and Black Rubber/Latex
Ambiguous Declaration (50% Probability)
  • Red Cloth, Plastic, Neoprene Harnesses
  • Red or Red Paisley Hankies in Rear Pockets
  • Red Paisley Shirts or Shoes
  • Red Puppy Hoods
  • Nasty Pig, Fort Troff, Cell Block 13 Attire
Red Harness
Figure 1.3: Red Leather Indicative of Fisting

A red leather harness is a good indicator that the wearer is a fister.

Fisting and Fisting Adjacent Hanky Codes

There are various codes related (or marginally related) to fisting activities.

Non-dichotomous Flagging

Some fisters use other hankies or colored attire to indicate expanded sexual proclivities. Individuals may flag left or right; however, the left/right flagging only works when an activity aligns with a clear top/bottom, assertive/passive, or insertive/receptive roles. It becomes ambiguous when the hanky or color doesn’t follow a role-based dichotomy. In some cases, flaggers need to offer verbal clarification to avoid misinterpretation.

Colors tied to personality traits, personal identities, and certain preferences are problematic. For example, purple or lavender is frequently associated with drag. Mosquito netting is associated with an affinity for outdoor sex. Because left and right distinctions are not applicable for these colors, determining the intention of the flagger may be difficult.

Likewise, colors tied to activities like rimming often break the traditional left/right logic: does flagging right indicate a desire to eat ass or does it indicate the desire to have the ass eaten? In many cases, men who identify as bottoms will be the insertive partner (as their tongues penetrate holes) rather than the receptive partner.

Color Appropriation

Because the hanky code is decentralized, colors, fabrics, and objects have different meanings. Fisters have appropriated certain colors for their own purposes. For example, dark red used to mean bleeding (inflicted by cuts or menstrual cycles), but today dark red means double-fisting. Likewise, ambiguous colors like gold and mustard can be easily imported into the fisting world.

Protocols

Protocols include standard practices and etiquette followed by the majority of the fisting community. Typically, these are things that new fisters pick up over time.

Etiquette

Etiquette refers to how you treat others in a specific fisting scenario. There is one etiquette guideline related to flagging.