There are countless ways that people use design to identify themselves, from eyeliners for your gothic status to badges for their political affiliations.
This has historically been crucial for LGBTQIA + individuals to subtly express their identities and preferences.
There is even a word to describe this occurrence: waning.
How did marking really operate, then? And is it also practiced by young people today, particularly those in gay communities?
Flagging gave an explanation
Flagging is about how your clothing expresses itself, not just what you wear.
Madeleine Seys, an Adelaide University fashion scholar, explains how clothing had a significant impact on the gay community as early as the 1800s in the new ABC iview collection The Method We Wore.
She claims that in Australia, particularly when homosexuality was made illegal, fashion was a crucial tool for LGBTQIA + people to find one another and form their communities.
She claims that “Flagging started with gay people in the 19th millennium.”
To express their otherness to other people and other members of the community, they would use specific colors, materials, or symbols.
Users of “the relative code” would carry a bag in their back pocket that had various sides and colors that communicated various kinks.
A coastal hanky in your back right pocket might signal to others that you’re okay with licking some toes, whereas a grey one hanging out of your left back pocket would denote you.
Flagging, according to Dr. Seys, allows gay people to properly identify like-minded people and “deflect the danger from the outside world.”
Is waning also a problem today?
There is one essential piece that many queer people, particularly women, still apply: the carabiner, despite the fact that the relative code appears to be out of favor among young queer people (after all, you can really add a column on Grindr).
Many people admitted to using the modest carabiner to signal their gender to potential love interests while browsing the no shops in Sydney’s Newtown.
Seren, temporarily unable to recall its real name, says, “I call it a paella.”
I must purchase a new one, but I want one that is extremely large and thick. It’s the only activity I engage in that is comparable to using a cloth.
For Seren, who clothes “very dad,” clothing has been a crucial means of self-expression.
“Clothing have played a significant role in defining and affirming my identity, and it makes me incredibly happy to do that.”
Natasha claims that she tries to gown “for the female gaze,” selecting items that are “more imaginative than openly sexual” and make her feel at ease.
“Generally anything that looks gay.”
There are a ton of other contemporary ways someone could flag their queerness, away from practical key hooks, longer jorts and flowy pirate tops.
Renee, who also enjoys expressing herself by donning football jerseys, says, “I mean, I think it’s pretty obvious when you look at my [slit] eyebrow and undercut hair that I’m queer.”
Sammy used to have a dog cut that was “very queer- I was quite glad about that” (a combination of the hair cut and the hairstyle).
And when I had my membrane pierced, I thought, “I’m very petite presenting, very right looking.” I want to take this action to prevent that.
But then, if people believe that I’m no queer, they are free to do so. I continue to be a homosexual person.
The defense of flagging
Many of the young people we spoke to don’t place much importance on dressing in a particular way to hide their queerness.
Sammy says, “Oh, I’m queer and I want to use my clothing to express that,” I think I did engage in flagging maybe a couple years ago when I first came out.
But now that I’m very at ease with who I am, I don’t feel the need to brag about being in a certain way. Simply put, I’m happy with who I am.
Sammy enjoys dressing in a smooth manner, going from extremely girly to oversized unisexy the next day.
“I very much have entered: I’m going to dress however I please, and it won’t be for any particular person.”
Who knows what that even means if it’s to draw a masc lady, like? Therefore, it’s just for me.
Particularly in Sydney’s inner west, which is home to the LGBTQIA + community and where queerness is almost universal, it might be a sign that times have changed. When someone can openly discuss their gender, who needs to promote it?
Wessley uses style to express himself in various ways rather than dressing up to openly flaunt his queerness.
I’m Torres Strait Islander, and I have a couple of Aretha Brown’s pieces, which are really great queer First Nations artists with strong political undertones.
I wouldn’t say that’s my entire thing, but I’ll occasionally pop out my old skirt to indicate that I might be a little more queer than straight.