Bandana Code

The bandana code, better known as the handkerchief code, hanky code, or flagging, is a non-verbal system in which a colored bandana or handkerchief communicates sexual interests and preferences. Worn on the left side of the body it typically signals a top or active role, and on the right side a bottom or receptive role, while each color stands for a specific interest or kink. One origin story traces it to San Francisco after the Gold Rush, when men at all-male square dances used blue or red bandanas to mark their dancing role. It became widely used in gay male leather and cruising communities in the 1970s as a discreet code at a time when openness was risky. Elements of it persist in kink and leather culture today.