Straight edge

For the drawing or cutting tool, see straightedge.

Straight edge (sometimes abbreviated to sXe or SxE) is a lifestyle and (counter cultural) subculture, closely associated with punk and hardcore punk music. It advocates abstinence from tobacco, alcohol, and recreational drug use—especially psychoactive and stimulant drug use. Some straight edgers also abstain from promiscuous sexual behavior and caffeine.

Originally inspired by the punk band Minor Threat, it has spread around the world, but is most popular in industrialized Western societies with a large middle-class—such as United States, Canada, countries of Western Europe, and Australia. Although straight edgers do not necessarily identify with a particular world view on social or political issues, many do subscribe to precepts associated with anarchism, vegetarianism–veganism, socialism, environmentalism, and the deep ecology movement. Some straight edgers are Christians or Hare Krishnas, as well as other religions.

Origins

In the book Our Band Could Be Your Life, Ian MacKaye reports that during the mid- and late 1970s, he and his friends often missed musical performances by their favorite groups because they were held in clubs in and around Washington, D.C. that served alcoholic drinks and banned anyone under 21 years of age from entering.

Rock musician, Ted Nugent, was an early inspiration for MacKaye and his close friend Henry Rollins. In an era when most popular rockers were known for their copious drug and alcohol use, Nugent made a point of proclaiming his teetotaller status.

MacKaye's group, The Teen Idles, made a brief west-coast tour in 1980. The owners of San Francisco's Mabuhay Gardens club were reluctant to allow the group to perform in the bar since all members of The Teen Idles were under the legal drinking age. As a compromise, the Mab's owners wrote a large 'X' on The Teen Idles's hands with a permanent marker as a warning to bartenders that such persons should not be served alcohol.

Upon returning to Washington, D.C., MacKaye suggested this same notion to various area club owners as a means to allow teenagers into the clubs, while preventing them from being served alcohol. Several clubs began doing so, and the "X" drawn on one's hand eventually became a symbol of a stand against alcohol and other drugs. The Teen Idles's "Minor Disturbance" EP—released on the highly influential DIY label Dischord Records in 1980—featured two X'd up hands on the cover. This EP also marked the beginning of what would become the straight edge scene within hardcore and punk.

There are differing views on the origins of the actual term "straight edge". The usual explanation is that it was coined by MacKaye's second hardcore punk band, Minor Threat, in the early-mid 1980s. The straight edge lifestyle that began soon afterwards is in fact largely defined by the lyrics to Minor Threat's songs, specifically "Out of Step" and "Straight Edge".

The term was first used in song form in the song by Minor Threat called "Straight Edge," which simply tied together many of the concepts that had been floating around in the Washington, D.C. music scene for a while. Just as many underground movements have done, the straight edge scene has diversified. There are some who preach complete "militant" purity, while there are others who—while still remaining straight—refuse to label themselves as having "the edge." Many straight edgers no longer wear the trademark black 'X' on the back of their hands.

The subsequent straight edge movement, however, was never advocated by singer Ian MacKaye—who thought of it as more the personal choices that he had made in his life. After some tension with the other members, MacKaye noted that some of Minor Threat's personnel drank (though rarely to excess).

The hardcore punk scene has been viewed by those unfamiliar with it as a mass consensus of angry kids—uniting with the purpose of creating fast and rebellious music in the hopes of reshaping a society that they perceive as bad. Although hardcore bands share some of the same themes, their lyrics, politics and attitudes can range from right to far left, from extremes to moderation, from hostility to hospitality.

While the first wave of the straight edge movement was centered around Washington, D.C. (Minor Threat, G.I.'s, and Faith) and Boston bands (SSD and DYS) from 1981–1983, there is a new wind of bands from around the country and the world calling themselves straight edge. (Seen in the names of not only the bands, such as Bold and Straight Ahead, but even in the names of the record labels, such as New Beginning, Positive Force, and Revelation.)

Overview

There are various reasons why people may choose to be straight edge, and there are various interpretations of the practice, and various applications of the precepts noted below.

Straight edge can generally be viewed as a counter culture, lifestyle, or simply as a long-term commitment to abstinence from recreational drug use.

Some use the lifestyle as a 'stepping stone' because they believe it will allow them to be more involved with their own mental and physical health. For some, straight edge involves refraining from casual sex. Rather than promoting strict abstinence, many straight edge persons believe in sex within caring relationships rather than one-night stands.

Many straight edgers are vegetarian or vegan—the two movements, however, should not be linked to straight edge.

The appeal of straight edge has broadened beyond the initial scope of punk culture and has appeal to youth of many cultures who eschew recreational drug use. Many people who are straight edge became attracted to it as a counter culture option to what they see as a widespread drug culture.

Straight edge is considered to be—by many of its followers—a choice. In this sense, no one is born straight edge or has been straight edge their entire lives. Labeling oneself straight edge is a cognitive decision that someone makes for themselves and is generally not seen as a label that is obtained by default. No one is straight edge simply because they don't drink, smoke, or do drugs—it requires an active decision and participation in the subculture.

Attitudes towards spirituality

Some straight edgers feel that having a clear mind is a better way to approach life and/or spirituality. They tend to be atheist, such as Good Clean Fun, or agnostic, often believing in self-responsibility and rejecting the idea of a deity or any divine moral law. In many circles, the lifestyle has associations with spirituality—there were at one time significant Hare Krishna straight edge movements.

Recently, some in the straight edge movement have striven to separate themselves from ties with religion. With the attitudes they carry toward all races, religions, and any other specific groups, straight edgers—more recently—try to step away from spiritual binds. There are, however, a small portion of straight edgers who align themselves with Buddhist practices.

Christians involved in the punk/hardcore subculture sometimes consider themselves straight edge; indeed, the rejection of illicit substances, alcohol consumption (particularly underage), and premarital sex, is commonly encouraged by many mainstream churches and their youth groups. It should not be, however, assumed that the self-identification as straight edge is a casual replacement of one label with another. Prominent self-identified Christian straight edgers include the bassist for Throwdown, at least one member of Comeback Kid, and at least one member of Stretch Arm Strong. There has also been criticism of Christians being involved within the straight edge community—reflected in songs such as "This Ain't No Cross On My God Damn Hand" by Limp Wrist, "Real Edgemen Hate Jesus" by XfilesX, and "Straight edge punks not Christian fucks" by Crucial Attack.

The 'X'

At punk rock shows, it became common practice to mark an X on the hands of under-aged concert goers to ensure that the bouncers would recognize a minor attempting to drink alcohol. Some people interpret this as a symbol of Ian MacKaye's "don't smoke, don't drink, don't fuck" ethos. Some interpret the three Xs as representing "Body", "Mind", and "Soul"—although three Xs have also been used as an abbreviation for hardcore punk in general.

Many adopters of the "straight edge" lifestyle voluntarily marked their hands in the same way to show their commitment to refusing alcohol. Also widespread is the tattooing of the X symbol on other parts of the body or wearing it on clothing, pins, et cetera. Three Xs (XXX) have their origin in artwork created by Minor Threat's drummer Jeff Nelson in which he replaced the three stars in the band's hometown Washington D.C. flag with Xs.

The X is considered both a mark of negation and a mark of identity. Attaching the X to one's name or band name is common practice for straight edgers. For example, 'John Smith' would become 'johnXsmith', or 'xjohnx'. "Straight edge" is sometimes abbreviated sXe (S.E. plus an X) following much the same logic and hardcore is sometimes abbreviated "hXc".

Backlash and criticisms

A subset of straight edge—often called hardline—had been involved in physical assaults in the United States during the 1980s and up to the mid 1990s. Hardline, however, hasn't existed for several years and the term has been misused many times to describe militant straight edge. Police in some communities—such as Salt Lake City and Reno—have classified straight edge as a gang due to violence associated with militant straight edge groups in these cities.

Straight edge groups

References

1) Sam McPheeters, Dave Stein, Jason O'Toole, Brian Baker, THE STRAIGHT EDGE MOVEMENT (Buzz 1987)

External links

Hardcore punk | Subcultures

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