searchspell:edgecorrected for straight edge
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 total, life long, abstinence in relation to tobacco, alcohol, and recreational drug use (especially psychoactive and stimulant drug use), and for some people in relation to promiscuous sexual behavior. Originally inspired by hardcore band Minor Threat, it has spread around the world, but is most popular in industrialized Western countries with a large middle-class, such as United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and much of Western Europe. Although straight-edgers or "edge kids" do not necessarily identify with a particular worldview on social or political issues, many do subscribe to precepts associated with anarchism, vegetarianism/veganism, socialism, environmentalism, and the deep ecology movement; Christianity, as well as other religions, and extreme right wing views are also present.
OverviewStraight edge can be viewed as a counter culture, lifestyle, or as a long-term commitment to abstinence from illicit substances and observation of the precepts outlined above. There are various reasons why people may choose to be straight edge. 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. Some choose to be vegetarian or vegan, though many straight edge followers do not believe straight edge and vegetarian/veganism should be considered linked. 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 of not participating in what they see as a drug culture. Attitudes towards spiritualitySome 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. In many circles the lifestyle has associations with Christianity, and there were at one time significant Hare Krishna and Mormon straight edge movements. There are also Muslim straight-edgers, especially in Islamic countries, most notably Malaysia. 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. Some people interpret this as a symbol of Ian MacKaye's don't smoke, don't drink, don't fuck ethos. Some believe the three Xs are short for Body, Mind, and Soul—although three Xs have also been used as an abbreviation of Hardcore (straight edge). 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, etc. Three Xs (XXX) have their origin in artwork created by Minor Threat's drummer Jeff Nelson in which he replaced the 3 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 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 is pronounced as 'straight edge' or stated as the letters go "es-ex-ee". It has also been said that the X's origin comes from Ian Mckaye's previous band; The Teen Idles. When the band toured the United States, they had to mark x's on their hands to show their youth at shows that were 21+, but had Teen Idles booked on the bill. Teen Idles were not a straightedge band, but were drug free. This has been said to be the first straightedge band, although Minor Threat coined the term. Backlash and criticismsA subset of straight edge, often called Hardline, has been involved in physical assaults in the U.S. Police in some communities, such as Salt Lake City, Utah and Reno, Nevada have classified Straight Edge as a gang due to violence associated with Hardliners, and due to links some Straight Edgers have with the Animal Liberation Front. Straight-Edgers who still drink caffeinated beverages and smoke ciggarettes are sometimes seen as hypocrites also. As with all non-political counter-culture movements, such as neo-hippies, goths, etc., straight edgers can easily be accused of being inable to become fully autonomous individuals (i.e., they are geeks, momma's boys, posers, etc.), and using such clique movements as an "inferiority support group" to hide their own mental lopsidedness and inability to define the world on their own terms. These cliques provide an easy, pre-packaged set of answers for weak and dependant minds. OriginsIn the book Our Band Could Be Your Life, MacKaye reports that he and friends often missed musical performances by their favorite groups because they were held in clubs in and around Washington DC that served alcoholic drinks and banned anyone under 21 years old from entering. MacKaye's group, the Teen Idles, made a brief west-coast tour in 1980. At San Francisco's Mabuhay Gardens, club owners were sympathetic to youngsters wanting to see musicians perform, and had begun writing a large "X" on teenagers 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 became a symbol of a stand against alcohol and drugs. The Teen Idles' "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 songs, specifically Out of Step and Straight Edge. The '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. However, there exists evidence that the term "straight-edge" was used to indicate a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle as far back as the 1900s. According to posts on both BoingBoing [1] and Beatrice.com [2], there was a vegetarian restaurant called "Straight Edge Kitchen" in New York City's Greenwich Village at that time, and a set of illustrations in a 1906 issue of the New York World newspaper shows a group of "Straight-Edgers" eating at a vegetarian restaurant. [3] The Straight Edge MovementThe hardcore music scene has been viewed by those unfamiliar with it as a mass consensus of angry kids, uniting with the purpose of creating fast, 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. The term "straight edge" was coined by the Washington, D.C. hardcore band Minor Threat, in 1980. The term was first used in the song "Straight Edge" which simply tied together many of the concepts that had been floating around in the Washington music scene for a while. Just as many underground movements have done, the straightedge 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 straightedge "kids" no longer wear the trademark black "X" on the back of their hands. While the first wave of the straightedge movement was centered around Washington (Minor Threat, G.I.'s, Faith) and Boston bands (SSD, DYS) from 1981-83, 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.) Reference1) Sam McPheeters, Dave Stein, Jason O'Toole, Brian Baker, THE STRAIGHTEDGE MOVEMENT (Buzz 1987) External links
Straight edge groups
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