"Flagging"

I was wandering around on the web looking for info on the origins and history of BDSM when I found this. It's something called flagging. I was wondering if anyone else has heard of this. Here is quote that explains it.

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Flagging by wearing something in a back pocket has nothing to do with ordinary flags. Wearing a flag (keys or a handkerchief) hanging from one's back pocket to indicate interests has a long tradition in gay communities and is also observed by many folks doing BDSM.

Traditionally, a top flags (that is, wears the pocketed item) on the left, and a bottom on the right. The recognized hanky color for SM is black.

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Originally posted by Finding_Fantasy
I was wandering around on the web looking for info on the origins and history of BDSM when I found this. It's something called flagging. I was wondering if anyone else has heard of this. Here is quote that explains it.

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Oh, yeah! Don't know about now, but back in the early to mid-eighties, the kerchief in the back pocket to indicate role and "scene" was huge. I don't remember all of them, but here were some I do recall:

Yellow: golden showers

Brown: scat

Black: Heavy BDSM

Light Blue: wants or gives head (depends on pocket worn in)

Navy Blue: Topr or bottom

Red: Fist fucking

Purple: into piercing as a sexual activity.

Orange: In left pocket=looking to score; right pocket=just cruising.

Kelly Green: whore or john.

Hunter Green: Daddy or seeking daddy.

Olive drab: military or into military.

Beige: into rimming or being rimmed.


And strangely enough, the corner of a plastic baggie to indicated either dealer or someone looking to score drugs.

I know there are lots more, but that's all I can remember.


Kallie

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Originally posted by Kallie Thomas
Oh, yeah! Don't know about now, but back in the early to mid-eighties, the kerchief in the back pocket to indicate role and "scene" was huge. I don't remember all of them, but here were some I do recall:

Yellow: golden showers

Brown: scat

Black: Heavy BDSM

Light Blue: wants or gives head (depends on pocket worn in)

Navy Blue: Topr or bottom

Red: Fist fucking

Purple: into piercing as a sexual activity.

Orange: In left pocket=looking to score; right pocket=just cruising.

Kelly Green: whore or john.

Hunter Green: Daddy or seeking daddy.

Olive drab: military or into military.

Beige: into rimming or being rimmed.


And strangely enough, the corner of a plastic baggie to indicated either dealer or someone looking to score drugs.

I know there are lots more, but that's all I can remember.


Kallie

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Hmmm, wow, how interesting, and well done for remembering all those colours Kallie!

Just one question though - was there anywhere in particular one was supposed to carry the hankerchiefs?? i.e. only at a BDSM related event or just generally in day to to day life?? i only ask because i've got terrible visions of some poor hapless magician with one of those long multi-coloured hankies being accosted by every sexual deviant in a 10 mile radius.....!!!! ;)

i am being silly, of course, but out of interest, when WERE they supposed to be carried?

lucy

I think it's supposed to be in a the general population to let others in the community know that you are involved in the lifestyle. Something that can "identify" you in the everyday world. :)

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Originally posted by Finding_Fantasy
I think it's supposed to be in a the general population to let others in the community know that you are involved in the lifestyle. Something that can "identify" you in the everyday world. :)

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Ah, right, i see...i wonder if it still goes on? Or what countries it was prevalent in? Anyone know??

sl

You'll probably want to hear from Kallie on this, but my understanding at the time (twenty years ago) was that it was largely confined to New York City and San Fransisco. There may have been small numbers of people 'in the know' in most large cities, but I don't believe this was ever a widespread practice.

Kallie?

Yeah the article didn't go into any great detail about it. That is why I asked. It sounds like an interesting concept but not very practicle since a lot of people have "hankies" that hang out of their back pocket and the cases of mistaken interest could cause widespread embarassment. LOL

ROFL lucy your magician comment was hysterical!

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Originally posted by Finding_Fantasy
It sounds like an interesting concept but not very practicle since a lot of people have "hankies" that hang out of their back pocket and the cases of mistaken interest could cause widespread embarassment. LOL

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LOL.

Yeah...not to mention the practicalities of actually getting your hands on such a colourful array of hankies!

sl

Flagging is still in use within the London gay scene. And there are loads of shops that sell coloured bandanas to fold into your pockets...

For added confusion there is also a certain amount of difference in colours used depending on which list people have found, different lists for lesbians etc, nothing diffinative seems to exist! So even if you think the person is offering what your looking for... might be a good idea to discuss it!

The basic colours (red,yellow,brown and a few others) have migrated to being used in personal ads too, listing the colours rather than acts you are interested in... In this way quite explicit ads can appear even in the most conservative of publications!

The concept of flagging left (Dominant/Top) or right (submissive/bottom) is also common with keychains being hung on the appropriate side - However with the increasing use of mulitple keychains by youngsters as part of fashion, it's probabally safer to double check!!!!

jad

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Originally posted by Curtis
You'll probably want to hear from Kallie on this, but my understanding at the time (twenty years ago) was that it was largely confined to New York City and San Fransisco. There may have been small numbers of people 'in the know' in most large cities, but I don't believe this was ever a widespread practice.

Kallie?

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Can only speak for LA, Utah, and Colorado--was very widespread in the gay community. As a straight "fag hag" (hate that term) who hung in gay bars mostly frequented by men, I usually wore light blue, letting the boys know that I enjoyed giving head, and occasionally black, when the mood hit me. You'd be surprised how many gay men will swing a girl's way, given the right set of circumstances (and mood altering drugs).

I don't know how common it is now, but 20 years ago, it was a common practice in the clubs I frequented. In Utah, finding a wide array of kerchiefs was a breeze--it's cowboy country. I still have a huge collection, though I actually use them to tie my hair back or as sweat soppers when working in the garden.

During the early 80's, when Billy Idol and others made it okay to wear bandanas and chains, a lot of younger gays did wear the kerchiefs in public, but them aside, I think the practice was pretty well limited to bars, parties, and baths.

Kallie