The Hanky Code originated in the 1960s in a series of gay leather bars around Los Angles, California. The hankies functioned as a color coded system for communicating illegal or stigmatized sexual desires within the construct of top/dominate and bottom/submissive. While the hankies lubricated one’s navigation through sexual relations, the very existence of such strategically codified garments illuminates the grave reality of extreme sexual oppression and persecution during that time period. The use of the Hanky Code has trickled into the present with slightly less severe undertones, but our intention in illustrating, printing and distributing this new version of the Hanky Code was to remove its historical connotations of shame and fear entirely. The drawings assert sex and body positive visibility not only within queer enclaves but to the masses as well. With such amazing success within our community thus far, we have decided to up production and use Hanky profits to fund the top surgery of one of the artists working on the project. (Top surgery is a surgical procedure that many trans-masculine folks choose to undergo - reconstructing the chest from a female to male contour.) As long as profits keep coming in, we plan to keep supporting the trans folks in their efforts to afford surgery – continuing the amazing cycle of queers supporting queers
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We have illustrated and printed twenty different colors. There is a great variety in color and coding systems across the US... this is our interpretation.
The Code
left (top/ dominant) || color || right (bottom/ submissive)
piercer | purple | piercee
fucker | navy blue | fuckee
wants head | light blue | expert cocksucker
fist fucker | red | fist fuckee
dildo fucker | pink | dildo fuckee
2 looking for 1 | gold | 1 looking for 2
anything, anywhere, anytime | orange | not now, thanks
spanker | fusia | spankee
hustler | kelly green | john
69er | robins egg blue | 69ee
CBT (cock and ball torture) torturer | teal blue | CBT (cock and ball torture) torturee
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