Even in the time of social distancing, we’re wearing handkerchiefs with purpose and pride. Queers have stepped up and taught others how to make a handkerchief into a mask, hell, Mr. S Leather has gone the extra mile and printed their own flagging-inspired masks! So while we’re figuring out how to communicate to each other six feet apart and as folks begin to open up their bedrooms after months of cruising Lex, I figured it’d be a good time to share my zine Yes I’m Flagging: Queer Flagging 101. You may remember the old black & white zine from years ago, but thanks to Silver Sprocket, it’s gotten a makeover and is now 28 pages long, on nice paper, and in full color with some guest pages by Chingy Nea!
Here’s some sample pages from the zine! If you’re curious and want to read the full un-edited version, you can buy the zine for $5 bucks!
![What is flagging? Flagging, or the hanky code, has been around for some time, some say since the gold rush. It became popular in the 1970s when gay men used handkerchiefs in certain pockets to signal sexual acts they were interested in giving/receiving, often in public parks or bathrooms or around the town. I'm not a history expert and I'm just going to tell you: before you go and stuff a navy handkerchief down your back pocket, you should try to read up on our history a little bit. There are folks who have already written about this and in greater detail and with more theory than I'm able to muster — check out: http:beyondhankycode.wordpress.com and the hanky code [the movie] on vimeo](https://develop.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ASflag03.jpeg)
