Straight edge movement

[Oz girl]

Can somebody expalin what the straight edge movement is all about?
Are these kids religious? Associated with punk and sakter culture? What is behind their no sex no drugs no booze philosophy?

[try another castle]

It's been a while since I've seen anyone who is straight edge. That's just started to come into vogue over there?

Yeah, straight edge were those who were into punk and who were strictly no drugs or alcohol. I think there was a vegetarianism thing going on too. That whole black X on the back of the hand was a big thing, too.

I believe it started in the 80s. I know that there were a lot of straight edge kids at the venue when I went to see Fugazi way back in the day, although I don't know if Fugazi qualifies as a straight edge band. (Although lord, they sure are preachy enough to be one.) I think the huge sXe crowd was due to the fact that Ian McKaye used to be in Minor Threat.

I myself was never straight edge. I was a SHARP for a while, until I realized how stupid that was, and how, if you're in college, that pretty much disqualifies you from being a skinhead in any way, shape or form.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_edge

[Oz girl]

I had heard something about it years ago and knew about the X that they wear and the punk thing but that was it. One of my nephews was telling me about them and how he is into this movement right now. He is into punk but also flirting with one of those no fun if it is not clean fundamentalist church groups. So i just wondered what these ppl are all about.

Can they have sex? Wikipedia did not mention much about that

Someone once told me they were into far right political philosophy. Is this a myth?

[try another castle]

Re: the far right thing. That has not been my experience, no.

I wouldn't be surprised if it could become that, as the far right-ers and fascists tend to co-opt leftist movements for their own. i.e. skinheads, oi music, and the like.

As far as spirituality is concerned, I always got the impression that most people into straight edge were either atheist or agnostic. Not really big fans of any sort of organized religion.

Don't know anything about sexuality or sexual activity. Mostly it was about being opposed to corrupting your body with substances, as opposed to sex.

[Anonymous]

This is a high school thing. The dorky kids, who couldn't find pot even if they wanted, form their own group so they can pretend they are cool and doing something worthwhile. They are just scared of doing things normal teenagers do. They are usually the weird kids. But they really strange ones are the ones who continue into college with it, or adulthood. We call them mormons around here.