It'
s about keeping it pure, staying true to yourself, and respecting your body. No
drugs, no alcohol, no promiscuous sex. The issue of sex has become skewed and you
may find people that call themselves
straight edge and still have promiscuous sex. I personally have never heard of someone breaking edge because they had sex with some one. Although that does not mean I don't consider promiscuous sex part of being
straight edge.That'
s another issue.
Straight Edge originated with the band Minor Threat. Minor Threat was formed in D.C. in 1980. Ian McKaye, vocals, wrote "I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't fuck, at least I can fuckin think," In the song Out of Step which was released in early 1981 on their
EP, In My Eyes. This was later coined as straight edge with a song entitled Straight Edge on Minor Threat'
s next self titled EP later in 1981. The term caught on throughout the D.C. punk/hardcore
scene and also spread throughout
Boston.
Straight Edge is often abbreviated as sXe. The "X" became associated with Straight Edge because of a loop hole in laws of Washington D.C. at the
time. The legal drinking age at the
time was
18. Most shows were booked in clubs and bars and this posed a problem for most of the kids going to shows as they were minors. Another law in Washington at the
time was that all bars must also serve food. Therefore there was no such thing as a bar in D.C. in 1980, there were only restaurants. Kids worked with bouncers and said they would put X'
s on their hands to symbolize that they were minors and could not drink. This eventually evolved into a symbol of Straight Edge and kids began to X up even when shows were not at bars.
TRUE TIL DEATH.
xJHUNTx
Straight edge bands new and old: Minor Threat, Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits, Slapshot, Earth Crisis, Judge, Side By Side, Bold, Carry On, Chain of Strength, Champion, Ten Yard Fight, With Honor, Down To Nothing, Stand and Fight, xLooking Forwardx, BANE, Casey Jones, In My Eyes, Floorpunch, Comeback Kid, Strife, Mouthpiece,
Underdog, Death Before Dishonor, Embrace Today, The
Promise, Good Clean Fun, I Hate You, Youth Brigade and many more.
