ABSTRACT
Straight edge is a male-dominated and, some would argue, hyper-masculine subculture. This chapter highlights the women's understanding and experiences of their place' in straight edge subculture. Hannah, 25, was drawn to the straight edge ethos of abstinence at the age of 15. Lisa, 23, became straight edge at the age of 21 as a way to deal with excessive alcohol consumption and drug-taking. Alexis, also 25, had a different motivation for becoming straight edge. She stated that the main reason for her involvement in the subculture was its health benefits. The experiences of Hannah, Alexis and Lisa recounted in this chapter should not be read as representative of the experiences of all straight edge women in Australia or elsewhere, and it is not intended that generalisations about female participation in this subculture be made from their narratives.
