‍

At a time when queer erasure was a real issue...

...During the term of the 45th president of the United States. I came up with the concept of how to use emerging tech as a way for queer communication, so I looked to the past to bring a form of queer communication into the future

What is Hanky Code?

In the '70s, the handkerchief code gained popularity among gay men who were in search of casual sex. The handkerchiefs were placed in your back pocket, essentially, and depending on the color, symbolized a sexual fetish or a position. There was even a meaning behind which pocket you tucked it in. Codes like this were crucial to the early development of LGBTQ+ communities, but date back even further than the Gay Liberation movement, to the mid- to late-19th century (like, the Gold Rush), and are still used in cities across the globe today.

Where Past meets presence

I designed the bandana pattern and had it printed onto some fabrics, the bandana pattern then became the target for which an augmented reality (AR) app would recognize and display a short video, 3D digital charms, or information about the individual carrying the hanky. Maybe it indicates an individuals pronouns or simply just digital chotkies the individual likes.