With Stranger Things season 4 reigniting a love of Kate Bush and Metallica or forcing us to rethink our parents’ recollection, the fact is that despite the music, there has been no shortage of theories about one character’s sexuality. Yes, we were convinced that Will Byers is gay and has a crush on Mike, we’re not talking about this. The introduction of hero Eddie Munson sent the internet gossiping about his sexuality. But is Eddie Munson gay?

While Will has been the source of the most speculations about sexuality. In Stranger Things season 4, fans were pretty much convinced by this point that Will was full of the feels for Mike, but as quickly as Eddie Munson became the boy we all fell in love with, gay or not, fans targeted their focus on Eddie Munson, and wondered, is Eddie Munson gay? 

Eddie’s a character that is atypical of the 80s metalhead who loves Dungeons and Dragons, so it’s not clear cut from the start, but as he became the hero of the hour in that heart-wrenching final episode, there were a lot of theories about Eddie Munson’s sexuality, but how did this come about? It was all down to one piece of clothing... 

The Hanky…

While Eddie Munson looks like a typical metalhead during the peak of metal music in the mid-80s, it was towards the end of season 4 when he opened his heart and we opened up ours to him, fans started to wonder if the geek with the golden heart’s sexuality was ripe for discussion. 

The black bandana or handkerchief in his back pocket sent the internet wondering if Eddie Munson was gay. To answer this, we are going to have to dig into what this black hanky means. One fan decoded that the black hanky at the back of his pocket alluded to what is called the “Hanky Code,” which is a colour-coded system where somebody wears a specific coloured handkerchief in their back pockets to inform others of their sexual desires. 

While the Hanky Code is something not used today, it emerged among LGBTQ men in the 70s and the 80s, so the timings certainly line up.

Is Eddie Munson Gay?

To answer this question, there's a lot more than just a handkerchief. It was clear from the earlier episodes that he had feelings for Christy Cunningham who was one of the first victims of Vecna in season 4, and there are many fans that came to the conclusion that he's gay because he told Dustin in his final moments that he loved him. But does this mean that he is actually gay? 

While Eddie could be gay and potentially in love with Dustin, it's unlikely. The fact is that Eddie and Dustin having a relationship is just as likely as Mike and Will. In other words, not at all!

But of course, with a show like Stranger Things being full to the brim with easter eggs, there is no way we can say this was a happy accident. Eddie is a character that was completely aligned with the metal fashions of the mid-80s. Every rock fan that liked Metallica wore skull rings, jewellery, and leather jackets but the black and white bandana is something that we can't unsee. Is Eddie Munson gay? Stranger things have happened!