Walking the Straight Edge

"I'm just a person like you/ But I've got better things to do
Than sit around and fuck my head/ Hang out with the living dead
Snort white shit up my nose/ pass out at the shows
I don't even think about speed/ that's something I just don't need
I've got the straight edge"

-- "Straight Edge" by Minor Threat

The world first became wary of them during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City when they made the terrorist watch list. They also entered the spotlight during MTV's New Orleans series of "The Real World" -- when house member Matt Smith introduced Straight Edge to the mainstream TV audience. But despite these appearances on the world's stage, those that call themselves Straight Edge are still a mystery to most.

Straight Edge youth can be intimidating in a crowd with their "XXX" tattoos, facial piercings and black attire. Because of this, they are repeatedly misrepresented and misunderstood -- particularly by the mainstream media. Last year, a Canadian newspaper called Straight Edgers a "vigilant do-gooder gang that targets those who sin" while others have called them "suburban terrorists" and "politically correct terrorists." Their association with gangs is in many ways way off the mark -- rather than dealing drugs and doing drive-by shootings, Straight Edgers adhere to a self-regulated lifestyle of no alcohol, no drugs and no promiscuous sex. The symbol "XXX" is believed to represent a resistance to these three common vices. Many also claim to be vegetarians or vegans and some don't drink caffeine.

So why the bad rep? A highly publicized incident that occurred in 1998, in which two Straight Edge teens were involved in the murder of a Latino youth in Salt Lake City, was a key factor in shaping the public image of the Straight Edge movement. But even those unfamiliar with the incident point to loud, hard core Straight Edge music and the wild thrashing mosh pits at Straight Edge shows as examples of violent behavior. Straight Edge came out of hard core punk music and remains tied to that genre. The music is loud and intense, and the dancing is more like a free-for-all karate-match than a style. And as with other extreme philosophies, those that adhere to being Straight Edge are often seen as being close-minded, rigid, and often hostile toward those who don't subscribe to their philosophy.

Many claim the Straight Edge movement was originally inspired by Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat, a hard core punk band, in the 1980s. MacKaye's song "Straight Edge" -- written in memory of a friend who died of a heroin overdose -- encouraged young people to abstain from drugs, alcohol and promiscuous sex. Straight Edge saw its first big surge in punk clubs during the late 80s, but according to Straight Edge blogging websites such as www.straightedge.com -- which claims at least 4,000 members -- it may be seeing a resurgence. Theresa Martinez, a sociology professor at Utah State University who has been following the movement for six years, reports that approximately 6,500 teens in the U.S. call themselves Straight Edge. The underground nature of the movement, however, makes it difficult to determine solid statistics on the number of self-proclaimed Straight Edgers today.

As with all cultural phenomenons, the Straight Edge movement may be evolving as a new generation comes of age. According to the popular site straight-edge.com, being Straight Edge today is sometimes a much more political statement than it was two decades ago: "While the original definition of straight-edge only included the rejection of mind altering substances and promiscuous sex, modern interpretations include a vegetarian (or vegan) diet and an increasing involvement and awareness of environmental and political issues."

Personal Choices

With the pressures on young people today to drink, smoke, do drugs and have sex, living a Straight Edge lifestyle is not always easy. And those who choose to be Straight Edge find themselves making decisions based on their personal philosophies rather than peer influences.