As said previously, this is an idea mainly thought to be coined by Minor Threat (thus being an offshoot of punk/hardcore).
Their song Straight Edge outlines their lifestyle that they choose to live... I've been told it was their drummer who was using a ruler to draw a poster and noted that the ruler's straight edge was a metaphor for their lifestyles...
The
basic outline of straight edge is, as said before, not wanting to or taking part in:
Drinking (or any mind effecting
drugs)
Smoking
Casual sex (without a loving relationship)
This is just a simple guideline of what the LIFESTYLE of an edge person is. It can be built upon with
vegan/vegetarianism, no caffeine and other choices that keep your body poison free.
An X can be worn on the hands of
people who are edge, along with stating poison free, straight edge can be abbreviated to sXe. The X on the hand is because at punk/hardcore gigs, an X was drawn on the hands of minors so that they would not get served at the bar. With this movement
people started putting Xs on their hands to show that they did not want to drink.
The idea of straight edge is not to poison the mind and body with anything that is bad for it, this, to me includes being a general bastard to
people… For me its being the best person you can be.
We are not boring
people, I choose not to drink, it doesn't mean I can’t have fun, or go to parties, I just have fun while knowing what I’m doing and remembering.
Straight edge should unite
people and not turn into a gang who discriminate against
people who do poison their bodies... It's their choice, let them live with it, I
don’t look down on
people who aren’t edge.
Two good examples are:
Davey Havok (AFI)
Justin Sane (Anti-flag)
... These guys are modern
day saints in my opinion
non sXe: do you want a drink/joint/
smoke/one night stand… etc.?
sXe: No thanks, I don’t want to do that
(Straight edge is not a reason not to drink,
smoke etc. A straight edge person will have their own reasons; straight edge is just a way of showing their lifestyle.)