Straw color code for swingers?

[TNT 1,155]

I read an article last night written by a columnist for the "Village Voice". In her article she was talking about her visit to a swingers convention where she was teaching a sex workshop. While there she made a few observations regarding swingers.

 

One of the things she observed was a "straw code", much like the "hankie code" that gay men use.

 

A black straw in your drink meant that you were not interested in anything .

 

A yellow straw meant you were a full swap couple.

 

A pink straw meant you were bi.

 

I have never heard of this or seen any different color straws at any club or event we have ever been to.

 

So my question is...is this unique to the convention she attended, or have I totally missed seeing straws at the places we have been to?

 

Has anyone else ever heard of this?

[EternallySingle 32]

I think it was unique to that convention, but there are other ways to signal your intentions, like stamps or hospital style wrist bands. Given the situation, it makes it easier to know who to approach and who not to approach, meaning everyone would enjoy the evening more. One club I go to has live music and underage people (usually girls) have to wear green wristbands so they aren't sold alcohol. Another club, a primarily gay bar, stamps your hand with a chicken if you are straight. I don't get the reference, but it keeps gay men and women from hitting on straights.

[SluttyWife 17]

I sure haven't but what a genius idea!

 

But perhaps we should spread the word and adopt!

I'm wondering now where to find these color coded straws..

 

 

HELP

 

I wonder what color we could assign to "soft swap"!

 

;-*

[WhosBtchAmI 15]

never heard of it but sounds like an AWSOME idea . . . would take the guess work outa who to aproach . . and why they may or may not be intrested in u lol

[yawanna 17]

yes I read that article and I thought I commented on it here? Maybe elsewhere but we've never heard of a straw code. The hanky code I know of.. from the gay bdsm clubs.

[newgentry 17]

Actually I think that idea has been around for awhile - at least at the club (Carolina Friends) that we go to occasionally. They give you little colored dot stickers to put on your name badges - orange is for bi-curious as I recall, and I know they have colors for soft swing only, full swap and maybe BDSM too. Only thing is the dance floor is usually so dark you can't see the things. So its not a totally novel idea anyway.

[Brit_Pair 62]

Didn't I read somewhere (here on the board?) about a similar coding scheme that was determined by the brightness of the lamps on your table? Bright lamps meant you were happy to be seen and ready to play, whereas dimmer lamps allowed you to sit in comparative darkness watching all and being seen less.

[b_and_sc 16]

We had the colored straws at Hedo...it sure helped EVERYONE have a fun time...I think it's an awesome idea.

[meowkittyhascla 17]

Can you imagine my straws...one for bi and full swap....gee...I hope the drinks are good! But it is a great idea.

[couplegone2wild 15]

I went to a swingers club in D.C. where they played swinger speed dating as a get to know each other type of thing. While we didn't have straws we were given different colored happy face stickers. It made me feel more comfortable.

[Spoomonkey 421]

At least - it will be at some point - as soon as I can find a chump to fund the study

 

Our club recently started using colored cups - I forget the code since we've only been once since they started using them . But it was kind of funny because people who weren't paying attention would grab the wrong cups and - while I don't think it caused problems - it was a bit humorous. We'll catch on at some point - but when you mix liquor, the cups you drink said liquor from and a code so complicated it can confuse a Navaho - you are just asking for lots of laughs and red faces.

 

I know that a couple we are friends with - who are "couples only" - spent the night wondering why in the hell so many single guys approached them... I waited to long too tell them, but they were just so damn cute coming up with "kind but firm" ways to say "no".

 

[Tom & Bonnie 99]

The Colored Straw idea was at the N'awlins in November Convention last year.

 

It was not that well known even there as the organizers forgot to put notices out to everyone and at the bars where you picked up your straw.

 

So, imagine the suprise of the unwary colorblind gentleman who inadvertently picked up a pink straw!

 

Cheers

[JustAskJulie 2,595]

I'm thinking wrist bands would work best.. it's something you already are wearing for the convention itself usually, so to have different colored ones indicate different things wouldn't be a big deal. And it would be a one time thing instead of having to constantly remember to pick up the right colored straw every time you get a drink.

[Paul&Audrey 21]

Originally posted by SluttyWife

I wonder what colour we could assign to "soft swap"!

 

If you were to find the color for Soft-swing, or FFM 3somes even, could you perhaps post your findings here? Baremama & I would be most appreciative!!

Thank you...HELP

[javelin 15]

I saw this in action at Hedo 3 in June 2003 with a lifestyles group. I then suggested our group going to Desire in June 2004 use this as a light hearted way to break the ice. I had a whole rainbow of colors to mean many different things. I was then basically compared to the Nazi branding of Jews in WWII. DO NOT propose the straw idea amoung a group that may contain nudists. Nudists are offened by labels. Needless to say, I moved on from that group.

[wildchld97 19]

Javelin...I feel ya'. We're going to Hedo III in May with a group and I innocently suggested that maybe we could institute some sort of password protected area on the website where people could state upfront what kinds of sexual activity that they were open to....to take out the guess work. Needless to say, there were many responses and none were of the favorable kind. LOL. Oh well...live and learn.

[Paul&Audrey 21]

If you were to find the color for Soft-swing, or FFM 3somes even, could you perhaps post your findings here? Baremama & I would be most appreciative!!

Thank you...HELP

 

Don't guess you ever found the color, huh Slutty?

[JnCC 24]

One of our local clubs tried this a while back using colored dots on name tags, but I heven't seen them in a while. Haven't seen the name tags either, for that matter.

 

I think one of the problems with "putting it out there" by way of tags, colored cups and straws, etc., is that "interests" have a way of becoming "agendas" once voiced. Not everybody wants to do everything with everybody. For example, suppose a couple enjoys an occasional MFM...but they are extremely picky, and when the situation arises, prefer to do the initiating. If they let it be known by way of badges, cups, straws, etc., that it's one of their interests, the next thing you know, they'll be badgered to death by single guys. The guys will be pissed, because they'll feel like they've been led on.

 

Some of the bi-women we've met at clubs are worse than the males. God help any halfway attractive woman who reveals to them that she might be "bi-curious." "Bi-curious" doesn't mean they want some toady, 250 lb. cow-dyke chomping away at their crotch while their husbands are trying to drag them out of the situation.

 

If I'm at a club with a friend and somebody wants to know "what we're into," let them sit down and join us for a drink. By the time we've exchanged names and other pleasantries, they'll know "what we're into," by way of an invitation that's extended to them and them ONLY. If they're interested, we can proceed. Otherwise, it's nobody's business.

[dutch51 15]

I think one of the problems with "putting it out there" by way of tags, colored cups and straws, etc., is that "interests" have a way of becoming "agendas" once voiced. Not everybody wants to do everything with everybody. For example, suppose a couple enjoys an occasional MFM...but they are extremely picky, and when the situation arises, prefer to do the initiating. If they let it be known by way of badges, cups, straws, etc., that it's one of their interests, the next thing you know, they'll be badgered to death by single guys. The guys will be pissed, because they'll feel like they've been led on.

 

Some of the bi-women we've met at clubs are worse than the males. God help any halfway attractive woman who reveals to them that she might be "bi-curious." "Bi-curious" doesn't mean they want some toady, 250 lb. cow-dyke chomping away at their crotch while their husbands are trying to drag them out of the situation.

 

If I'm at a club with a friend and somebody wants to know "what we're into," let them sit down and join us for a drink. By the time we've exchanged names and other pleasantries, they'll know "what we're into," by way of an invitation that's extended to them and them ONLY. If they're interested, we can proceed. Otherwise, it's nobody's business.

 

 

We ran into similar things at a club, too, only they used wrist bands. We always picked the one for "just observing/soft swap" (yeah, same color for both) and figure if there was anyone we wanted to talk to, we would let them know our interests then. We too were very selective with who we played with there, preferring elsewhere for play, and most people who knew us there knew that we went mainly for the light, social aspects of the evening- dancing, a few drinks, flirting, and the inevitable nudity when someone decided to pole dance, lol.

[SluttyWife 17]

If you were to find the color for Soft-swing, or FFM 3somes even, could you perhaps post your findings here? Baremama & I would be most appreciative!!

Thank you...HELP

 

Right here!

 

If I were to find I would post...but I just thought for a moment of giving birth to that color code right here, right now

 

FFM threesomes should be white...thinking unicorn here..

Soft swing...red?

 

[Vespertine 31]

If I were to design a color code for swingers I'd go with the old stand-by traffic color code.

 

Green= Full Swap

Yellow= Soft Swap

Red= No Touching

 

Then you could toss in:

 

Blue= Looking for Single Men

Pink= Looking for Single Women

 

White= Bisexual

Black= Hard Core Kinks/Anything Goes.

 

It would be nice to present the color-code on nametags.

[northindycpl 32]

Dito Ves. That makes the most sense to me.

 

I have seen clubs that do the arm band thing, and also do something similar with nametags, or tee-shirts.

 

It definately takes the guess work out of things, huh?

[JnCC 24]

If I were to design a color code for swingers I'd go with the old stand-by traffic color code.

 

Green= Full Swap

Yellow= Soft Swap

Red= No Touching

Blue= Looking for Single Men

Pink= Looking for Single Women

White= Bisexual

Black= Hard Core Kinks/Anything Goes.

 

How about...

 

Multi-colored arm band, wraps around bicep 200 times = Looking for fellow NASCAR fans

 

Beer can pop-tabs = Looking for Fat, Balding, Mouth-breathers

 

No arm band, just white, no-tan line around upper arm = Married, but Playing alone

 

Thick, black band, worn around left ankle = Looking for Martha Stewart Impersonators

 

White satin arm band, accented in purple velvet and gold lace = Looking for choirboys who know how to keep a secret

 

Arm band drawn on arm in black, felt-tip marker = Homeless Viet-Nam vet, will work for sex

[SluttyWife 17]

If I were to design a color code for swingers I'd go with the old stand-by traffic color code.

 

Green= Full Swap

Yellow= Soft Swap

Red= No Touching

 

Then you could toss in:

 

Blue= Looking for Single Men

Pink= Looking for Single Women

 

White= Bisexual

Black= Hard Core Kinks/Anything Goes.

 

It would be nice to present the color-code on nametags.

 

 

Very clever and much easier to remember, Vespertine!

Good one!