I hate the hanky code.
More specifically, I hate the "widely accepted" hanky codes you see when you google "Hanky Code". It's simultaneously too broad, covering vast expanses of the spectrum, and too specific, favoring only a few small, relatively uncommon kinks. Fortunately for us, the Wikipedia article for the hanky code can (very generally) be referred to as a good source for information to get a quick overview of the hanky code. It's even got a handy-dandy table (which I've replicated below):
| Color | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Black | S&M |
| Dark Blue | Anal sex |
| Light Blue | Oral sex |
| Brown | Scat |
| Green | Hustler/prostitution |
| Grey | Bondage |
| Orange | Anything goes |
| Purple | Piercing |
| Red | Fisting |
| Yellow | Pissing |
Great, good. Everything here is something we can all (generally) agree on.
Except green. I take huge issue with green being listed as "Hustler/prostitution". In a chart where we have "S&M" and "Bondage", "Hustler/prostitution" seems incongruously specific. A better, more generic definition would be "Dom/sub" and bring it in line with the rest of the table.
Before I go any further I want to state, emphatically, that I don't have a problem with people engaging in (enthusiastically consensual) hustler/prostitution play. Sex work is real work, you know the drill.
We need to look at it in the bigger picture though. Anyone doing research into the hanky code is immediately going to google it, and almost certainly land on the wikipedia article for it, and see our table from above. If this person has an agenda, seeing "Hustler/prostitution" right there front and center on an article about an important part of gay culture is going to give them something to work with. This is doubly true given the current discourse surrounding human trafficking* and LGBT issues.
All that aside, this is, at the end of the day, probably a non-issue. Changing the table on the wikipedia article is almost certainly not going to happen given their labyrinthine editing policies (and I don't want to get into a debate with wikipedia editors). And I think it's safe to say that when we see green, we assume "Dom/sub", not "Hustler/prostitute". This will probably just remain one of those little annoyances that I'll bring up whenever someone mentions the hanky code.