Goth Identity: What Is Goth?
Introduction
I have received the same question over and over for years: “Elle, I searched for goth information on Google to see if I am one. I found information about having a goth mindset and liking dark fashion. Do you have any tips for impressing other goths or getting into the subculture? Thank you!”
This is one of my favorite questions to answer, because the goth subculture is incredibly important to me. I have been part of the goth community since the age of 15, though it mostly started out online and through indirect friendships over text. The goth community is still alive, but it faces constant erasure, misidentification, and appropriation.
Although this is nothing new, this is concerning to participants in the subculture (to put it mildly) because it misrepresents us and portrays us poorly to the world. Goths have a history of violence, but contrary to popular belief, this history is about violence against goths, not violence from goths. One of the most popular stories regarding violence against goths is the Sophie Lancaster case. Sophie Lancaster was a 20-year-old alternative (goth) woman who was murdered for being different. She and her boyfriend were attacked by a group of boys in a park, and sadly, the hate crime resulted in the loss of her life. Her boyfriend survived but sustained long-term injuries. Hate crimes do not just occur toward goths or people who simply “look” different, but prejudice and hatred still abound specifically toward goths due to misunderstanding who they are and what makes a goth a goth.
It bears noting that Black and Brown communities face disproportionate and strategic violence targeted at their collective and individual communities, and combining those racial/ethnic intersections with goth, plus the erasure-based nature of white supremacy, means that thousands upon thousands of stories of murder, harm, hate, and violence against alternative people of color have been strategically erased and hidden. Sophie Lancaster is not the standard for violence against goths or anyone else. She is just one example, rather than the epitome of the oppression many “othered” or alternative people face. Since alternative people who are white can also choose to step out of the appearance of being alternative, we also hold disproportionate privilege over people who cannot change the ways the world perceives them, whether it is due to skin color or other unchangeable intersections. Anything bad that happens to white people has already happened to Black and Brown people (especially women and femmes) many times over, many times longer. There is a reason why Sophie Lancaster is the typical example of goth erasure, rather than any one of the thousands of Black or Brown people who face the normalization of their own pain and suffering every single day, while white people’s suffering is deified and brought to the “front page” of human attention. It doesn’t mean that white people don’t matter when we are harmed; it just means that we need to be aware that we are not the default. Anything bad that happens to us has already happened to Black, Brown, and other marginalized people(s).
Goth is Misunderstood
The most important thing to start off with is knowing that nearly everything about goth on Google is wrong. Goths have been demonized, vilified, and even killed for being who they are. We are still misidentified as devil worshippers, occultists, and fetishists. Even the Columbine shooters were mistakenly labeled as goths in news reports. Goths, particularly the elder goths (goths over 40), have faced systematic erasure. This has come through in a few prominent ways:
1. Mislabeling goths to make them fit other subcultural musical preferences.
2. Non-goths are pretty much the only people to write books or news articles about us (the last “goth” book I read listed My Chemical Romance as goth), though there are some exceptions (baby bats can start with Jillian Venter’s book Gothic Charm School).
3. New aesthetics arising on Tumblr and TikTok are being labeled as “goth,” and internet “influencers” who are not goth at all appropriate the term “goth” and label themselves as such.
What Goth Is Not
1. Goth is not emo. Goth is not metal music. Goth is not rap music. Goth music is primarily a sound (plus lyrics), and none of the aforementioned (metal/emo/rap) sounds are completely congruent with the subculture—they belong to their own subcultures and musical movements. They are no less valid or beautiful. They are just different. (Keep reading below to see how some of those genres are connected to goth, though!)
2. Goth has no religious or political affiliation, though in other articles, I discuss how those concepts can intersect with goth in interesting ways.
3. Racism in the goth subculture is not tolerated by upstanding organizers or genuine allies. (Ex: Brandon of Sonsombre received major backlash for some far-right affiliations with a confederate group. Learn more here.) Sexism in the goth subculture is not tolerated in general. Goth is often a safe place for women+ in particular, and the music about us is not degrading as it is in other musical traditions. However, this does not mean that racism and sexism do not slip through the cracks. Framing goth as a 100% safe space for Black, Brown, queer, or othered people erases the nuance and truth behind their experiences. No one is exempt from social contamination, and because white supremacy, misogyny, and capitalism underpin and define Western society, those things are carried into the subculture by all of us, even if we don’t mean to have bad internalized beliefs or assumptions. My comment about goth being a safe space has to do with intention, but I’m not necessarily assessing how successful this intention is. The fact is that Black people face plenty of racism inside and outside the subculture, because white supremacy is not confined to the realm of the mainstream. Just because leftists exist in the goth movement does not mean it is always a good place. All that is being stressed here is that goth is *generally more accepting of difference, though marginalizations, racism, and sexism still exist within goth as those things exist in most aspects of modern society.
As a side note, this is an understandable reason why goths have to guard their subculture. TikTok trends are labeling rap and metalcore songs that degrade women as “goth” (referring to the big-titty goth girlfriend type of thing), and it is the antithesis of everything we are and stand for. Goth is a very feminine-balanced place. This is not a criticism of rap music, since emo, metal, pop, and almost every other genre under the sun have been even more problematic. I am isolating one distinct trend, but I do not wish for anyone to associate rap music or hip-hop subculture with negative traits alone. Some of the most positively influential and stunning works of art and music have emerged through that genre/subculture. Besides, we cannot pretend that goth spaces do not grapple with Nazis and elitists trying to contaminate our spaces. Just because something is not tolerated, does not mean it does not show up sometimes. The goth subculture regularly has to address SA, racism, and elitism within the community. Every subculture and musical lineage has its challenges. No sound or form of stylism is truly superior or inferior to another. Just because one creator or band decides to be hateful or irresponsible does not mean that that creator or band reflects the outlook or values of the entire sphere. Long live rap and hip-hop. <3
4. Goth is not a mindset. Honestly, I do not know exactly where this one came from or what it is truly supposed to mean. Perhaps it arose from observing the aesthetic or demeanor of random people who were interpreted as goth? To an outsider peering in, it is understandable that the first point of contact would be the “look.” That is my best guess!
5. Goth is not just a fashion choice. Fashion is one of the smaller pillars of the goth subculture, but it is not a requirement to be goth and does not make someone goth in and of itself. Fashion movements should not be disrespected or looked down on, because they can absolutely bring people together! The point is that fashion in and of itself does not make someone goth. Wearing black is not automatically an indicator of goth participation. Some people work full-time or overtime and do not have the availability to dress in goth attire very often, if at all. It doesn’t make them any less goth than someone who has the freedom or desire to dress in alternative fashion every day.
6. Many people in the goth subculture, but especially women, have also had to deal with the repercussions of the outside world assuming that we are also part of the BDSM or kink community. Goth is not BDSM. Goth is not affiliated with the kink community. Can someone be into both? Yes, of course, but it is very dangerous to perpetuate any sexual orientation or sexual activity as a requirement for the goth subculture. Many of my female friends, including myself, have limited when and where we dress “goth” because we get fetishized and harassed for it. It is extremely harmful and dangerous to constantly sexualize goths.
A Deeper Note on Rape Culture
The reason why it is so problematic to enter the goth scene with the goal of finding a “big titty goth girlfriend” (as we are referred to online, regardless of breast size) or an alternative kinky girl is that it is rooted in entitlement, rape culture, and misogyny. It reduces us to how we can serve other people (usually men) sexually, without respecting our humanity or wishes. Nearly every woman I know in the alternative world has been harassed, stalked, or assaulted because someone assumes that these women/femmes/female people exist for the entertainment of (usually male) event attendees.
This is not meant to be derogatory toward sex workers, but goth women and femmes or female-presenting people are often positioned as social sex workers, available for the entertainment, sexual pleasure, and viewing pleasure of (usually male) attendees and outsiders. We do not exist to please you or to be visually appealing. Please do not approach us at events to tell us you want a girl who looks like us or to ask us “what we are into” sexually. This is harassment and is deeply disrespectful. Goth subculture does not have anything to do with sexual orientation in terms of whether being goth can predict who someone is or isn’t attracted to or what they like in bed.
As an asexual goth who does not experience sexual attraction to others and does not like being the object or center of sexual interest from others (even though I’m well aware it will happen no matter how I feel), I am beyond tired of having men/people look at me and assume that I’m into BDSM or niche kinks. I am into no such things, and I find it deeply offensive when people ask about my preferences, unless they genuinely have “best friend” status in my mind. No matter how much or how little clothing goth people wear, or how similar they might look to kinky people (to you), you have no right to make people uncomfortable or assume proximity to people who you find attractive or interesting. Leave us alone, and instead, come to events to enjoy goth music and subcultural elements.
As a side note to men and male people (or any entitled people) who are chronically online, I want to stress that even though people with different interests can absolutely be in happy relationships, you should have some general interest in goth music and the subculture if you want to be with a goth woman/femme/female person/nonbinary person. If you are merely going to festivals or events to pick up a girlfriend without caring about the things that affect and influence her/them (from positive or negative angles), you are doing her/them/anyone a deep disservice. Distilling anyone to a sex object or opportunity is part of rape culture, and it is dubbed that way because it directly leads to the assaults, rapes, and deaths of (primarily) women, femmes, and female people in general, though of course, other genders and sexes can be harmed, too.
I also do not mean to imply that this behavior only happens to goths. Women who attend raves, general events, or simply go anywhere, even in “normie” or mainstream dress, face misogyny, rape, and harassment. I am simply speaking about the struggles goth people face because we are constantly conflated with kink and BDSM movements. (Also, if someone happens to be into BDSM or kink, they should still never experience violence or harassment. What they like is their own business.)
Clarification of Musical Genre Influences
Above, I stated that goth music is not rap music itself. This is somewhat true. Rap belongs to its own vein of musical creation, but it doesn’t mean that it is entirely separate from goth itself. White supremacy erases the contributions of Black and Brown people at every opportunity, and its influence in the goth subculture is no exception. It is true that Lil Wayne’s music is not goth any more than Billie Eilish’s music is, but it doesn’t erase the contributions that Black people have made to the goth subculture.
The truth that a lot of white goths completely ignore (by choice and white supremacy-informed socialization processes) is that goth is deeply influenced by Afro-Caribbean music, Afrobeats, and other Black and Brown musical traditions. Even Bauhaus’s bassist, David J., clarified that “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” borrowed directly from Jamaican dub/reggae and tried to function as an “interpretation of dub.”
Most people will listen to a darkwave or post-punk influenced song, compare it to rap music, and ask, “How on earth are these two genres connected?” The answer is that if you strip most reggae/Jamaican dub and even some older rap songs down to their bare bones, they provide the exact frameworks that have been reintroduced by creators of all backgrounds and ethnicities into modern goth music. This is why, even though Lil Peep and other artists who are being falsely marketed as goth cause even the most emotionally mature goth to roll their eyes, it can be problematic to separate the musical distinctions of different genres too harshly. Even if Black-created music is not always goth, the fact is that we would not have modern goth music at all if it were not for Black (and Brown) people. This does not just mean that the goth subculture would not exist without the beauty and diversity of People of Color, even though that is true. What it means is that we literally would not have goth music without the influences and direct creations of Black and Brown people and their communities. The problem is that white creators have stolen so many concepts (e.g., heavy reverb, echo acoustics, bass techniques, drumbeat techniques, and patterns) from Black communities without giving them credit. Black people should be fully credited for applying the concepts of echo acoustics and so many other musical techniques and effects directly into the goth music that so many non-Black (especially white) people love. You can borrow or be inspired by other musical traditions, but you must give original credit for those inspirations and influences to the original creators to remain within integrity. White creators have been racist and atrocious about representing their musical influences honestly, and it is still a problem in the goth community internationally, even if more people are trying to spread awareness. People fight back and forth about whether Screamin’ Jay Hawkins is the original goth music creator or not. Most people think Bauhaus’s “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” kicked off the formal goth music movement in 1979, but this is only a partial truth.
One of the problems historians discuss is “periodization” in research and historical representation. What this means is that we can try to group events and socioeconomic happenings/influences into bracketed years, but most of those periods and events have deep roots and far-reaching consequences that extend far past the distillation of a bracketed time period. Although it can be an issue to project a historical framework onto a musical one, we are discussing music history and influence. Therefore, white people need to stop arguing so much about whether Hawkins was the “original” goth, and instead, give him full credit for the ways he influenced the musical stylism, lyricism, and aesthetics of the goth subculture, among many other elements goths enjoy.
Contemporary Black goth people continue to infuse goth music with its very soul. The Black-fronted band, O. Children, continues to inspire and expand the boundaries of darkwave and other goth subgenres that are mistakenly (and strategically) credited to white people alone. Of course, white creators and artists also influence goth musical stylism and the goth subculture as a whole, but we owe the very dust and marrow of our bones to the creations of Black and Brown communities. We owe them our thanks in so many ways, even if their creations were obviously not automatically intended for white people. (Sometimes thank-yous can function as representations of entitlements, so the point is to be thankful for what Black people create, without assuming that everything is about us or for us.)
Emerging Afro-Goth Events
I highly encourage all goth people or people who attend goth events to search for Afro-goth or Black-led/organized goth events within traveling distance. Black and Afro-creators have always influenced goth, but we are getting to see the emergence of more Afro-goth and Black-led events than ever before.
When you attend one of these events, you are not there to drop Google reviews on how you feel about the artists’ interpretations of goth music or heckle people when they present something you don’t see as goth or desirable music. I have stood at some of these events and had to call people out and notify security of disruptive behavior because (primarily) white visitors felt it was okay to scream, “What is THIS?!?” at the stage and performers while they are trying to put on a show. You don’t have to like every sound you hear or every band you come across, but you need to show respect at every event, and especially at ones where people with different racial and ethnic backgrounds are trying to create safe spaces for themselves and other people like them. Keep your thoughts and opinions to yourself, work on your internalized racism and entitlement, and enjoy the beautiful shows they create. Not everything is “for” you. Sometimes it is enough to witness what is in front of you without passing judgment.
What Goth Is
Goth is a music-based subculture. To reiterate, goth is not Avenged Sevenfold, My Chemical Romance, Marilyn Manson, industrial music, or Metallica. Goth music arose out of the post-punk scene in the late 1970s (but is not exactly post-punk in and of itself). Some elder goths remember post-punk as the “first goth music”, so some goths today honor their feelings and refer to post-punk facetiously as “Goth While Goth Was Still Buffering.”
Goth is inclusive and is not white supremacy, even though white supremacy is not left at the literal door when someone walks into a goth venue or event. Goth is home to people of all skin, hair, eye colors, and socioeconomic backgrounds, even though racism, sexism, and other intersections of oppression constantly infuse themselves in goth spaces. (Again, goth spaces SHOULD be safe spaces, but this does not always mean that they are. Every Black and Brown goth person I know has at least one story where they faced racism or mistreatment from another goth… usually a white person.) Anyone who says you can only be a pale, white person is racist and terrible. Goth is not directly associated with any religion, philosophy, political inclination, or specific belief system, though of course, it is steeped in influences, older movements, and aesthetics that tend to be more left-leaning.
There are Christian, Hindu, Atheist, New Age, Shinto, Muslim, Black, White, Brown, Indigenous, pineapple on pizza, no pineapple on pizza goths. The subculture does extend beyond the music, but the music is the underlying thread that ties everything together. Goth is political, as all things are, but you will find many nuances within and around beliefs as well as across spiritual, cultural, and ethnic conditions in the goth subculture.
Unlike some of its ancestral influences, which were more provocative (though the parental music history is varied), I see goth as evocative, giving rise to memories, images, and feelings that reflect who we are/have become through the music. Though antagonism is entirely relative, and sociologically goth is sometimes perceived as antagonistic by outsiders, my experience has not aligned with the “antagonistic” stereotype often ascribed to alternative music at all. Goth is so romantically infused within my listening experience (or perhaps I have personally romanticized its sound and found such great resonance within it) that it is a space for me to completely relax into. For me, goth music is a semi-permeable cocoon rather than the “up in your face” hill-I-will-die-on-to-get-my-message-across type of energy. Though of course “up in your face” will depend on which parts of your personal constitution and stylistic/lyrical proclivities are in conversation (or confrontation) with your musical experience… It is subjective, though I think many goths agree and do relate to my perspective in this way.
I also have to acknowledge that this is related to privilege for me. As a white person, I may miss some cultural or historical meanings embedded in goth music, especially if it is Black-created. Many goths believe that not to challenge the status quo is to completely waste the point of being goth or left-leaning. I tend to agree with this in a what’s-the-point-if-you-aren’t-challenging-power-and-oppressive-structures way, but I have a tendency to romanticize goth when I should be more deeply informed by its historical and cultural underpinnings. I’m working very hard to change that and make sure that I do not pretend that goth is just a sound, rather than an entire subcultural and musical movement that cannot be estranged from the cultures and people who helped create it. That ability to distance myself from those underpinnings is a part of white entitlement and privilege, and it is something I want to debunk and upend within myself as I participate in the subculture.
Know the Artists
Even though I stress (ad nauseum) that goth is a music-based subculture and that the sound is a key part of what makes goth music goth, it doesn’t mean that goth listeners shouldn’t be getting to know the artists behind the music as well. This is a key part of the musical experience, and is an essential part of showing respect, because the identities of the artists directly intersect with many of the messages and lyrics the goth music is trying to impart to us. Again, Black communities are often estranged or erased from their own creations, so it is imperative that we learn about the people behind the music. We should be learning about what has influenced and informed the ways that the artists create music. You cannot fully understand goth music without learning about the people who create(d) it. Even though some people try to separate the art from the artist, you cannot actually do that without losing most of the meaning and influence that deeply informs what the music actually represents and what it has to give to audiences. The social architecture of each person’s life and background will usually have deep impacts upon the music in stylistic, lyrical, and aesthetic terms. I don’t want my emphasis on sound and stylism to eclipse the humans behind and within the music. The two things must go together. (Learn about artists with respect. This is not an invitation to stalk, harass, or intimidate people. No one is entitled to private information about their favorite artists.)
Fashion and Social Media Trends
Goth fashion was inspired by the original artists of goth music and the aesthetics they adopted. Many of them were influenced by the post-punk movement and put their own unique twist on the fashion of their own musical heroes. And as stated before, Black and Brown communities deeply influenced and directly informed the aesthetics associated with goth over the course of many decades. Over time, fashion changed a little and branched out, as we can see with the spike of more romantic fashion styles that flourished in the 90s.
Even though goth people may not want to dress up every day or put on full makeup unless they attend special events (if at all), this does not imply that goth is a costume that can be swiftly taken on or off. Of course, white goth people have the added privilege of taking off alternative clothing and being more socially accepted than Black people or other people of color. However, people who “dress goth” for Halloween or act like goth is something you can just put on or take off are being very disrespectful. Goth is about deep personal passions and interests, not dressing up just to fit a bill.
Wearing goth fashion does not make someone goth, no matter how great the outfit may be. Sure, most of us will gravitate toward darker aesthetics and enjoy wearing alternative fashion when we can, but it is absolutely NOT a requirement. That is what Google gets so wrong. One of the goth ladies I know spends 80% of her time in scrubs. She loves her job as a nurse practitioner, and she has to have a more conservative look while she is working. She can’t wear the fashion more often than a couple of times a month. She listens to goth music every day and is super knowledgeable about it. Is she goth? Yes. Conversely, I know a lot of teenagers who are trying to figure out who they are (which is totally fine). They do a really great job of DIY-ing goth looks, but they do not listen to goth music at all or engage with the goth music scene. Most of them listen to metal, emo, or country music. Do I consider them goth? No. But I do not judge them for it. Music is about what speaks to you, and goth is in no way superior to any other musical taste.
With the rise of “pastel goth” and fashion trends on Tumblr/social media, I think a lot of people get misled. Every other kink and emo TikTok these days sports the #goth hashtag. Because people outside of the subculture, who have no idea what it is, usually have more online influence than the people within it, they mislead followers, and the misappropriation of goth continues. This is why it is so important to have some level of contact with the actual goth community, and to create respectful connections with the diversity of people within the movement. (In other words, if all of your goth “heroes” are white, you are doing yourself and the entire community a deep disservice, to say the least. You are also upholding white supremacy.)
COVID and Goth Online
The COVID-19 pandemic devastated many marginalized and elderly communities. However, on a social level, it showed us that it is possible to form communities, even goth ones, online. We can attend online goth nights, get the setlists for evenings that are already over (a lifesaver for those of us who cannot always be there), analyze goth club music trends from our homes, and have Zoom dance sessions! I really love the flexibility and versatility that the rise of the online world revealed to the goth community, because a lot of goths do not live in cities with a big goth scene. To my knowledge, I am one of three goths in the entire city of Sedona, but there is a huge goth community in Phoenix, two hours away. I think many goths relate to having to make a road trip to see their communities in person! We used to have goth nights in Flagstaff, Arizona, which is about 45 minutes away, but it is much smaller, and the meetings are very scattered since the venues are less certain than the ones in Phoenix. The online world is often demonized for misrepresenting goth or leading us into being confused with e-girls, e-boys, and kink practitioners. This is a genuine problem, but it also ignores the contributions that the internet has provided to the goth subculture, such as teaching us about how each goth community has its own “vibe,” and bringing us closer together on an international scale. For example, the goth scene in Los Angeles is very different from the one in Chicago, even though goths all listen to the same core music. People who are disabled or poor, or who can’t travel for a variety of reasons, have the opportunity to engage with the subculture online, even if there are still some massive benefits to being physically immersed in the social aspects of the subculture.
How I Discovered I Was Goth
How did I discover I was goth? By beautiful accident. I was 15, and I struggled to have any level of autonomy or self-expression at all. I grew up in a conservative family (Christian/religious) cult. That rabbit hole runs deep, and it is a separate story for another time. The point is that I had very limited contact with the outside world apart from my private school, church, and Christian-group violin lessons. However! I received a nano iPod from an extended family member for Christmas one year. I copied a bunch of CDs from Christian acquaintances at my church and filled the iPod up with the generic contemporary Christian and overstimulating Broadway musicals endemic to the culture around me… It was all I had. I don’t mean to hate on Broadway or “normie music,” but I truly hadn’t found my sound yet. Then, one day, I discovered a goth band. I had no idea they were a goth band, but I was obsessed with their sound. I had chills, and for the first time, something felt “right” in the music world for me. Black Tape for a Blue Girl launched a lifelong love of darkwave music, even though my tastes have vastly expanded in the last 20 years.
Goth music begets more goth music… iTunes recommended other bands like the one I had found. I only had the money to buy a few albums over the course of a year, but I would retitle the songs and albums as Christian or Disney compilations so that my parents would never suspect what I was listening to (they regularly went through my iPod to make sure I wasn’t listening to anything worldly). One day, I was listening to some of my goth music with a friend at my private Christian school, and he was like, “OMG, I had no idea you were a goth!” I was super confused and said, “No, I’m not. I don’t even know what that is.” This friend was a metalhead, but he had a ton of goth friends, and he gave me my first thorough education on the subculture. Fortunately, I was lucky to find someone who understood that goth is a music-based subculture! He made me YouTube playlists on his account, and I would listen to them from his phone in my few spare moments while at school.
I started out listening to goth music with no clue about the fashion trends associated with goth. I think I was very fortunate in that aspect because it gave me time to develop my musical preferences and tastes without feeling pressured to fit into a tiny little box. Later, when I was free, I developed a goth wardrobe and (of course) decorated my house in a dark, romantic, and Victorian style. However, I never felt like those things were vital to who I was as a goth. I am really thankful for that.
I also want to note that I came to goth out of a genuine autistic-special-interest approach, rather than an attempt to be edgy. I think it’s okay if people discover the subculture while trying to be edgy or different, but it wasn’t a core part of my personal experience. If anything, everyone thought I was very uncool, since emo and scene movements represented the most popular alternative preferences at the time.
I do not want to erase the incredible goth fashion magicians out there or diminish the hard work someone may put into their personal look or aesthetic. The goth aesthetic is the heartbeat behind the unparalleled, transcendent feeling I have in a goth club or just in my own bedroom. It definitely adds to the experience. All I am saying is that those things alone do not uphold the subculture all on their own. As a side note, though, I also grew up obsessed with (gothic) Victorian literature... It took me a while to realize that I had a clear pattern of interests.
Gatekeeping: It Serves a Purpose, But Needs to Be Renamed or Better Understood
My controversial opinion is that I do believe that some level of “gatekeeping” is necessary to keep goth alive today. Unfortunately, goth is an endangered species in terms of mainstream misconceptions as subcultures go, and as I have already mentioned, this is not because there are no goths. It is because the mainstream has appropriated it and defined it as fashion ONLY, which then confuses people who go to the surface level of the internet to get answers. Then it snowballs into a bigger mess and creates a whole following that erases what goth truly is. And of course, goth is also usually viewed by white people through the lens of white supremacy, which some of the fashion aesthetics and appearance-based pressures actively uphold.
Very few goths have written books about their subculture because it is a subculture. The point is that you have to connect with the community to be a part of it in some way, and the experiences of goth cannot fully be described or translated through the lens of a book or podcast interview, even though those can function as supports and learning opportunities.
I also need to explain that when most people refer to gatekeeping, they are talking about bullying. I am defining gatekeeping as providing a definition for the heart of the goth movement and sticking to it. Ultimately, we need to upgrade “gatekeeping” to a more accurate term. Bullying is never acceptable. Ever. The example I employ a lot utilizes musical genre as an example. Let’s say you put on a Carnifex t-shirt and wear it often, but you don’t listen to metal because it is not your sound. In this alternate universe, you do not talk to other people about metal music, seek out the aesthetic, have more than two songs on your phone with metal music, or want to attend metal events. Are you a metalhead? No. But are you inferior to metalheads because you choose to listen to classical and hip-hop music? No, of course not. Another example: Let’s say you don’t like coffee. You don’t regularly drink it, read about it, or have an interest in it. Are you a coffee enthusiast? No. Are you inferior to those who do drink coffee? No, of course not. It would be ridiculous to feel pressured to fit the mold of a coffee enthusiast when you do not have an authentic taste for it, right? With the rise of social media, goth has been defined as the crème de la crème of the dark and alt movements. Everyone wants to look like a goth, but not as many people want to stand in solidarity with goths and be honest about what the subculture is and is not.
It is never wrong to define what something is and to stick to your definitions of it as long as you do not cross over into elitist territory, thinking you are better than everyone else. That is the point I want to get across here. Goth needs to be protected, but it does not need to be placed on a pedestal. Goth fashion does own my heart, but I also sometimes dress in dark academia, cottagecore, dark mori, and even in 80’s retrofuturistic styles when the mood strikes me. If I am out digging for fossils or hiking, I just wear a dusty old shirt with my leggings. It does not change my involvement in the goth community or erase my love for goth music.
I also want to stress that gatekeeping disproportionately affects Black, Brown, and other marginalized communities. I understand why some goths take issue with the word gatekeeping at all, even though there are still diverse opinions on the subject within specific communities. Gatekeeping should basically mean that we keep Nazis, white supremacists, and bigots out. It means we need to be regularly deconstructing racism, white supremacy, and misogyny inside of ourselves, too, and not just worrying about what everyone else is doing. As one Black goth told me, “Gates just mean you need to come in through the front door, instead of breaking the windows and forcing entry.” Still, I want my fellow white alternative people to keep this line of thought in consideration. Policing people just because they mispronounce a band name or don’t know about the “deep” underground niche bands that just cropped up is rotten behavior. Think about what YOU are bringing into the subculture, not just about what other people have to offer you. Sometimes, we just need to choose silence, listen, and let other people be.
Can I Have Interests Outside of Goth?
A question I get quite often is, “I am obsessed with goth music… I have a wide knowledge base that I have spent great amounts of time developing, and it is my life… but I also like Lil Peep, Lady Gaga, ‘gothic’ metal (which is not actually goth), and Sabrina Carpenter. Am I still goth?” The answer is YES. Of course, you are! Loving goth music and being obsessed doesn’t mean you can’t like other things. Anyone in the goth community who tells you that you can ONLY listen to goth music is being ridiculous.
Eighty percent of my Spotify account is goth music. The other twenty percent is comprised of neoclassical, Irish rebel songs, synthwave, and general dark ambient artists like Peter Gundry. Am I any less of a goth for also being obsessed with the retrowave community or for listening to bands that are darkly inclined but not quite goth? No, of course not. Also, you can be darkly inclined without being goth, and that is just as beautiful. My life partner is darkly inclined and likes goth music, but he is more involved in the horror community. He is no less valid and freaking awesome than I am.
A Recap and Word on Disabilities
The pillars of fashion, gothic literature, and general aesthetics are valid in the goth scene and contribute greatly to the structural integrity of the whole. Many elements of the goth subculture were also inspired by film noir, some particulars from B and C-rated horror movies (even though goth is not to be conflated with the horror genres or subcultures), and other social phenomena. In fact, the Bat Cave screened arthouse horror films regularly and hosted underground theatrical performances of all kinds.
However, the soul of goth is in the music. Without the music, we have no goth. Regarding hearing abilities, I have hearing loss myself, and I have a couple of friends who are completely deaf. They, and others with hearing disabilities and challenges in my community, also agree that music is the soul of goth. The way they engage is by reading the lyrics and even going to goth clubs where they can dance and/or feel the beat. I think that is beautiful and so amazing. Not everyone can hear goth music with their ears, but that does not prevent them from being goth or part of the scene. However you love goth music or interface with it is valid, and it is okay if the other pillars of goth help you to connect more deeply to the subculture too. Reading goth music without the sound is part of what made me fall so hard for goth in the first place! I remember reading the lyrics for “The Garden of Love” by Age of Heaven for the first time online. It was incredible. Hearing disabilities do not disqualify you from the goth scene. Anyone who says they do is ableist and terribly misinformed.
Tips for Your First Goth Club or Social Interaction
1. Be respectful. Be honest about the fact that you are brand new to the subculture and just listen to what more experienced goths have to say. I have no doubt you will talk about many other things, but when goths are speaking about their music, just listen. It is one of the only spaces where goths can be more transparent about their musical and subcultural passions. For example, I had a guy five years ago ask me what goth was. I sent a big info-dump like this one, and he replied within five minutes with a Google screenshot definition of goth. He felt that my nearly 15 years in the subculture (at the time) were inferior to his two minutes spent on Google reading about how goth is somehow just an aesthetic and a mindset. Obviously, he was a troll, and I discontinued the conversation, but this is not at all uncommon. People get really upset when they are told that their emo or metal music isn’t part of the goth subculture.
2. If you are ever wondering whether something is bullying or gatekeeping, just remember: Gates are not meant to keep good people out, at least in the goth subculture. They are meant to keep dangerous, harmful, and disrespectful people out. You do not have to tolerate disrespect or degradation, but if a goth gently corrects something you said, do your best to be receptive to it.
3. Have fun dancing if you are able! Do not spend your time worrying about what you look like or whether you are “doing it right.” Enjoy engaging with the music, and wear comfortable shoes. Everyone says that your first time dancing on the floor is the most awkward, but it does not have to be, and all that matters is that you are having a good time.
4. Learn as much as you can! If you are a baby bat (someone new to the subculture or a teenager sampling the goth community to see if it is for you), ask questions and soak up all the knowledge that comes to you. There is no shame in being a student, and we are all students at some point. Chances are, you will find many goth “mothers” and “fathers” or parents/older siblings willing to take you under their wing and teach you everything they know!
Goth, Gothic, and Darkly Inclined
Goth is a music-based subculture. Gothic describes a type of literature, art, architecture, or film medium. Being darkly inclined means having an interest in things that are dark, spooky, or macabre in nature, but it is not directly associated with a music subculture. A darkly inclined person may be into anything dark or spooky, but they may not be automatically interested in goth music. This can look like someone who is really into horror media or enjoys studying funerary practices. When most people think of goth, they are really thinking of something gothic or darkly inclined. Again, all of these categories are amazing, and one is not superior to any other. It’s just important to properly define them so that people can understand themselves better and access movements and activities that enrich them.
Goth Music Overview
What is the goth sound? There are many genres and subgenres of goth music. A few of these are ethereal wave (one of my favorites), darkwave, and gothic rock. New wave music itself is not goth, but it is one of the “parent” genres of goth that deeply informed its musical identity. Many new wave bands also associated themselves with the New Romantic movement that formed in the UK, originally as a fashion trend. There are small differences between New Wave and New Romantic, but they are very similar stylistically, so we usually must look at their visual constitutions to tell which band falls under what category! (All hail the music deities who can tell the difference without looking. I don’t get it.) The subgenres of goth are vast and varied. As the YouTuber Accumortis says, “Gothic rock, for example, has many iterations- be it Western, Operatic, or Folk-infused versions.”
Traditional goth music evolved out of the European post-punk movement and emerged from different strains of new wave, post-punk, and new romantic music in the 1980s (though post-punk itself originated in the 70s). Across the ocean, the death rock subculture was born in the USA around the same time. Even though there are some big differences between goth and death rock, the subcultures do overlap in significant ways, and members of the goth community also involve themselves in the deathrock universe.
Industrial, EBM, and synthpop are not necessarily goth in and of themselves, but they too lent some of their musical DNA to what goth would eventually become. People who listen to industrial music have been mistakenly identified as goths, with misnomers such as the “cybergoth” label being frequently used in conversation. Enthusiasts of industrial music are called rivetheads or industrialists.
Many musical elements lend themselves to the goth sound, and as discussed before, many of them should be credited to Black and Brown communities. Reverb, echo acoustics, bass techniques, and different drumming patterns give goth its unique sound, even though different goth subgenres can sound very different from each other. Some darkwave bands drift more into neoclassical realms, with more stringed instruments and choir-based interpretations of the music, and experimentation is always sculpting out new facets of experiences of goth music. Just because we can usually define our music by its basic elements and genre influences or establish a sketch of what it looks like overall doesn’t mean it isn’t changing or growing!
Goth Pandering and Disrespect of Followers
A lot of bands that initially meant something special to the goth community have a history of being nasty to goths and denying any connection with most of their fan base (think Peter Murphy, whose behavior has been less than stellar in recent years). It is undeniable that Disintegration is still one of the greatest albums made in goth history, but many goths have an unfavorable view of Peter Murphy and are disappointed in the direction The Cure has taken regarding their treatment of their goth fans. Goths will also (often) stop supporting artists if they conduct themselves poorly or have a track record of being terrible people. It is always a bummer to find out that a band you enjoyed when you were younger has tried to dismiss their goth followers or pretend they do not exist. Some listeners choose to separate the band members from the music (which is not a wise choice), but if someone is really off-base, almost everyone moves on.
Mainstream-ification of Goth
On a different note, you will often hear goths complaining (fairly) about how goth is being mainstreamed. Even normies know about Siouxsie and the Banshees and have heard several Cure songs throughout their lives. Still, it’s so rare nowadays to hear a song from Pornography in lieu of Boy’s Don’t Cry or one of their more popular albums at many goth events. You certainly won’t hear songs by Blood Bells, The Ire, She Past Away, or the goth rock offerings from 13 Candles at those surface-level venues.
The mainstreaming of goth is nothing new, since popular culture tends to appropriate and rework alternative themes and elements to be tasteful for resale or consumption by mainstream people. I think we just feel it more than ever before, because platforms like TikTok and Instagram can spread misinformation much faster than what was possible in the early 2000s or before. If you hear goths discussing this, they probably aren’t being elitists… We just get tired of showing up to goth events that are really just party/drinking events for mainstream people, with everyone wearing regular T-shirts and ball caps and Lil Peep playing in the background.
My Personal Preferences
The thing about a lot of 80’s goth music is that it is really repetitive and clunky to my ears. (I realize this is kind of a harsh overgeneralization.) I will never bite the hand that fed and formed the beginnings of my subculture, but I have found my niche sound in my personal time. There are a few bands that mean a lot to me from the 80s, but I resonate with more of the 90s goth bands and beyond. Twin Tribes is one of my favorite goth bands of all time. One of their music albums was inspired by The Dark Crystal, and I’m obsessed. I don’t care if they are seen as surface-level goth (rude). They have my heart!
The following are some random goth band favorites of mine. They aren’t listed in any particular order, and this list only represents a handful of the bands I love. Occasionally, a band I list may not be goth in and of itself but may have made a few songs that are deeply beloved by the goth community or that align with the goth music tradition (e.g., A Flock of Seagulls is New Wave/ Drab Majesty creates music that is sometimes goth and sometimes absolutely is not goth). Some bands drift heavily into post-punk or industrial territory, even though they may also make darkwave or gothic rock music.
Fields of the Nephilim, London After Midnight (which I saw live one year in London), Veil of Light, Scary Black, The Wake, Blood Bells, O. Children, Rosetta Stone, Faith and the Muse, The Flat Field, a little of the Cocteau Twins, Memory Lost, And Also the Trees, Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Iza Grau, Mois dix Mois, Her Despair, Wisborg, Canis Lupus, Nox Novacula, Twin Tribes, Lycia, Godless Procession, Artica, This Burning Effigy, The Palace of Tears, Pink Turns Blue, Disjecta Membra, Black Angel, Horror Vacui, yes, the Cruxshadows haha (elder goths get annoyed because some of their songs are played on repeat at goth venues that try to mainstream their events), Geometric Vision, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, Age of Heaven, a little Death in June, Berlin, Winter Severity Index, Hante, Lebanon Hanover, The Secret French Postcards, The Wraith, This Mortal Coil, Nosferatu, Diary of Dreams, some Diva Destruction, Rosegarden Funeral Party, Angels of Liberty, Blutengel, Vosh, Boy Harsher, The Merry Thoughts, Bat Noveau, Ligea, The March Violets, Die Laughing, Deine Lakaien, Selofan, The Frozen Autumn, Otrotasce, The Eden House, Autumn Tears, Sopor Aeternus & the Ensemble of Shadows, Of a Mesh, Linea Aspera, Sidewalks and Skeletons, Suspiria, Love Spirals Downwards, Beautiful Pea Green Boat, Drab Majesty, Miserylab, A Flock of Seagulls, Egoprisme, The Faces of Sarah, The Silence Industry, She Past Away, Keller Kinder, Sweet Ermengarde, Plastique Noir, The Damned, Dead Can Dance, Attrition, Seraphim Shock (kind of hit or miss… some songs sound more industrial or metal), Roadside Memorial, The Coventry, This Ascension, L’ame Immortelle, Kirlian Camera, Cerulean Veins, Casket Cassette, Molchat Doma, Dead On a Sunday, Bootblacks, Leathers, Wingtips, Hapax, Vision Video, Skeletal Family, Dark Sanctuary, and Merciful Nuns.
The Future of Goth
Even if it sounds corny, the future of the goth subculture depends on how responsible we are with its definition(s). Even if you sample some music and find that the goth sound is not for you, goths appreciate allies who have the integrity to define goth appropriately. Many goth artists from previous decades are still making music, and new goth bands have started creating music in the last several years as well. Goths are still here, but their numbers seem to be dwindling as the truth about who and what they are becomes less accessible to seekers and overshadowed by mainstream influencers of today. This does not mean that there is not a thriving underground existence, but that many goths feel the need to “disappear” into their own safe spaces where they do not have to perpetually fight to be known.
Of all the music-based subcultures, few have been so badly misconstrued and misunderstood as goth, excepting Black-based musical subcultures. Unfortunately, the cultural drive to repackage goth as a stereotype or a “look” (leading to the dreaded goth-in-a-box fashion trend) is driving the community deeper and deeper underground. Goths originated (in the West) as a reaction to consumerist and conservative movements of the late 70s and early 80s. Goths have always valued independence. The question now is whether we are ready to appreciate goth for its genuine identity or whether we will continue to assimilate it into online spaces that have little to no appreciation or understanding of its roots and meaning. Many goths have bravely taken to YouTube, Instagram, and personal blogs to educate the mainstream about who we are. Are we ready to listen?