I’m sure many of you out there reading have heard of the Hanky Code. Some of you may be too young to have experienced it, and if you’ve yet to ever hear about it, let me explain. Before us gays were completely allowed to mingle and tingle our way through bars (let alone gay ones) we had to have a sign to show what we were after. Remember, a lot of cruising happened purely on the street, or in other public spaces. Plus, even when we did happen upon a gay bar-and in meccas such as NYC and the ole San Fran there were a few-they weren’t always themed. These days, I know if I’m in the mood for a hot leather daddy I can find an Eagle Bar in just about any major city around the world. But what if you just had a bunch of queens assembled together, no rhyme or reason, and no identified tops or bottoms. It could take a while to figure out heads from tails and that my friends, is where the Hanky Code comes in!

It could allow you to lay out exactly what you wanted with all the subtlety of the Queen of England. And that there was its beauty. Even if you were looking to getting double fist fucked that evening there was no need to shout it around the bar-simply stuff a dark red hanky into the back of your right back pocket. You’d be sure to pick up someone with that same hanky hanging from his left. If you didn’t spot that someone well at least you could cut your losses or change your mood. Hey, sometimes one fist will do and with that you’d simply need to find a red hanky.

So what happened? Where’d all these hankies go? Did they stop making them? Well that surely isn’t the case because I picked up some gray ones at my local department store a few weeks ago. Fair enough that said store is probably not intending my fresh hankies to be used in support of the hanky code, but if I want to express my desire for a bondage top, well I’ve got my gray hanky ready to go! Somehow though this hanky code that was in full swing during the 70s and 80s has become a fashion accessory of the past. Well, I say if skinny jeans can be worn by nearly every fag around these days, surely a hanky can be stuffed into its back pocket. It’s time to bring that shit back!

To help this cause I’m going to create you a new list to go by. Now it’s not necessarily new-you can’t reinvent the wheel after all. But it is updated and relevant to the time we live in and to the subject matter we tend to discuss here at Dark Post. Plus, I’m gonna have to track down where to find available hanky colors. In order to advertise that I’m hosting an orgy I’m gonna need a white hanky with multi-colored polka dots, and for the life of me I don’t know where I’m going to find one of those. (Unless I attack a clown and steal his, but then I really don’t want to have to explain to him why I need it, and I REALLY don’t want to invite him to said orgy! Can you imagine!?) So for now we’ll start with the basics, and then I’ll come back to you with updates of how and where to expand your hanky collection. If anyone out there knows of a great hanky emporium please let me know. Now let’s let those hankies loose, ya’ll!