Eddie Munson didn’t have many fans when he was introduced in Stranger Things season 4. Munson was an abrasive, rule-breaking rebel who led the high school’s Dungeons & Dragons club. Eddie was dragged into Hawkins’ supernatural world after witnessing Chrissy Cunningham’s death.
Being the last person to see her alive, coupled with his non-conformist nature, convinced Hawkin’s citizens that he killed Chrissy. The few who knew the truth sheltered Eddie – a favor he repaid by sacrificing himself for the group.
Stranger Things has a sketchy record when addressing the characters’ sexuality. For instance, It has received praise for its portrayal of Robin Buckley’s sexuality and criticism for refusing to reveal Will Byers’ sexuality.
Eddie Munson’s black and white bandana may indicate that he is queer
Eddie Munson’s outfit in Stranger Things points to his obsession with rock and roll. Like Eddie, rock fans in the 80s wore leather jackets, jewelry, and skull rings.
A fashion piece synonymous with the 70s and 80s may indicate that Munson is queer. Keen fans have noticed that Eddie hangs a black and white bandana in his back pocket, which may reflect the hanky code trend of the 80s.
Hornet described the hanky code or flagging as ’a way for queer men and BDSM fetishists of the 1960s and ’70s to covertly signal their sexual interests in an age when seeking and having queer sex could get you arrested, beaten up or fired.’
Different bandana colors and their placement signaled different messages. When the trend started, they indicated whether a man was a top or bottom: blue for top and red for bottom.
As time went by, virtually every bandana color spread a particular message. According to Hornet, the black and white bandana like the one Eddie carried indicated ‘safe sex top’ when worn on the left and ‘safe sex bottom’ when on the right.
Given Stranger Things’ attention to detail, it’s unlikely Eddie hangs a bandana in his pocket by chance. It is likely the showrunners wanted to indicate he was queer.