Gay flagging

ABC Arts. Topic: LGBT. From carabiners to the hanky code, queer people have subtly flagged who they are for decades.

Flagging Is A Fierce Way To Show The World You’re Queer AF

But how relevant is it today? From badges for your politics, jerseys for your sporting affiliations or eyeliner for your goth status, there's no shortage of ways that people use style to mark their identity. There's even a word to describe this phenomenon: flagging. So, how did flagging actually work?

And is it something young people gay especially those in queer communities — still participate in today? Flagging isn't just about what you wear, it's about what's expressed by what you wear. Madeleine Seys says clothes have played an important role throughout queer history. ABC TV. Adopters of "the hanky code" would wear a hanky in their back pocket, with different sides and colours communicating different kinks.

For example, a grey hanky hanging out of your back left pocket would indicate you're a bondage top, while a coral hanky in your back right pocket could flag to others that you're not against licking some toes. Dr Seys says flagging let queer folk safely find like-minded individuals, and "deflect the threat from the outside world".

While the hanky code seems to have gone out of fashion among young gay people after all, you can just add a line on Grindrthere is one key item that many flagging people, especially women, still use: the carabiner. When exploring the op shops in Sydney's Newtown, multiple people admitted to using the humble carabiner to flag their sexuality to potential love interests.

Seren "only wears jorts. You will not catch me in anything short". ABC: Rachel Rasker. For Seren, gay dresses "very dad", clothes have been an flagging tool for expressing themself. Natasha says she tries to dress "for the female gaze", choosing pieces that make her feel comfortable, and are "more creative than overtly sexual".

Natasha thrifts everything, and made her skirt by sewing together shorts and another skirt. Practical key hooks, long jorts and flowy pirate tops aside, there's tons of other modern ways someone might flag their queerness. Renee right and her friend Elle were still in their "semi-professional" work outfits.

Sammy used to have a wolf cut a combo of the shag haircut and a mulletwhich was "very gay — I was very happy about that". This is something I want to do to avoid that. I'm still part of the queer community. For many of the young people we talked to, dressing a certain way to flag their queerness isn't something that's particularly important to them.

I'm just okay with who I am.