Straight edge

:For the drawing or cutting tool, see straightedge.

Overview

There are various reasons why people choose to be straight edge. Often the lifestyle is used as a 'stepping stone' to allow one to be more positively involved with one's own mental and physical health. Some straight edge individuals do not use caffeine, or they choose to be vegetarian or vegan. Straight-edgers may also have reservations about medication (particularly psychoactive drugs), which they generally eschew. Straight edge tends to involve refraining from casual sex. Rather than promoting strict abstinence, many straight edge persons believe in sex within caring relationships.

Related Topics:
Health - Vegetarian - Vegan - Medication - Psychoactive drug - Sex - Abstinence

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Many people who are straight-edge became attracted to it as a counter-culture option of not participating in the often times dominant drug culture which is prevalent in many youth's lives. The continuing appeal of straight edge has broadened beyond the initial scope of just punk culture, and now appeals to youth of all subcultures eschewing casual drug use.

Related Topics:
Counter-culture - Drug culture - Youth - Punk culture

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Attitudes to spirituality

Some straight-edgers feel that having a clear mind is a better way to approach life and/or spirituality. They tend to be atheistic or agnostic, often believing in self-responsibility and rejecting the idea of a deity or any divine moral law. However, in many circles the lifestyle has associations with Christianity, and there were at one time a significant Hare Krishna and Mormon straight-edge movements. There are also Muslim straight-edgers, especially in Islamic countries, most notably Malaysia.

Related Topics:
Spirituality - Atheist - Agnostic - Deity - Moral - Christianity - Hare Krishna - Mormon - Muslim - Malaysia

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The 'X'

At punk rock shows it became common practice to mark an X on the hands of under-aged concertgoers to ensure that the bouncers would recognize a minor attempting to drink alcohol. Early 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 some artwork created by Minor Threat's drummer Jeff Nelson where he replaced the 3 stars in the band's hometown Washington D.C. flag with Xs. Some people interpret this as a symbol of Ian MacKaye's don't smoke, don't drink, don't fuck ethos. Some people believe the three Xs are short for Body, Mind and Soul, although three Xs have also been used as an abreviation of Hardcore (Straight-Edge). However, compare also the flag of Amsterdam. The X is both a mark of negation and a mark of identity. Attaching the X to one's name or band name is common practice for straightedgers. For example, 'John Smith' would become 'XjohnXsmithX', or 'xxxjohnxxx', et cetera. "Straight edge" is sometimes abbreviated sXe (S.E. plus an X) following much the same logic. Note that sXe can be pronounced as 'straight edge' or 's-x-e' but calling it 'sexy' is generally considered wrong.

Related Topics:
X - Bouncer - XXX - Minor Threat - Jeff Nelson - Washington D.C. flag - Ian MacKaye - Amsterdam

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Backlash and criticisms

Despite ostensibly good intentions, Straight Edge has occasionally been mired in controversies. It is not uncommon to see many modern punks mocking and even imitating "SXE" adherents, in an even newer, philosophical approach to indulgence, in that it is justified for what it is. Many Anti-SXE or Anti-Emo shirts can be found in stores and on the web: As one example, on the submit-and-publish T-shirt website OMG Clothing, one phrase that can be seen is "Straight-edge girls are SXE."

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Police in a few communities such as Salt Lake City, Utah and Reno, Nevada have sometimes classified Straight Edge as a gang, due to violence associated with some Straight Edgers, and due to links some Straight Edgers had with the Animal Liberation Front. In Reno, police concede that only a limited subset of Straight Edgers engage in violence. To some extent, wherever there is a large SXE contingent there will be violence. Crews - essentially informal gangs of SXE youth - are often formed leading to violence against established gangs or other groups in the area, but generally only against small groups of frat boys, or others who SXE adherents may have previously felt victimized by. Cities notorious for SXE gang violence include Boston and Richmond, Virginia with many different, oft-rivaling SXE groups. What was once a peaceful movement against drug use in the punk scene has often targeted alcohol and drug-using punk rockers, as well as those seen to be "weak" by the group. The music has largely transformed from its hardcore punk roots into a much-harder metal-based music with a very strong "us against them" attitude and an emphasis on "toughness" and fighting.

Related Topics:
Salt Lake City - Utah - Reno - Nevada - Animal Liberation Front - Crew - Gang - Frat boy - Gang violence - Boston - Richmond, Virginia - Punk - Alcohol - Drug - Punk rock - Hardcore punk - Metal

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