Straight Edge Interview Project: Tia 33, She/Her, NY

Could you share a brief introduction about yourself?
I’m a nerdy Clevelander currently residing in Upstate New York. 01/23/2024 marks 8 years entirely sober. My photography is my biggest passion right now. I am doing as much as I can to get to as many shows and tours as possible to get the coolest shots of all sorts of hardcore bands. Brand new locals, well-established old heads, and everyone in between. @TiaXSlaughter on Instagram is most of my work so far.

What’s currently on your playlist?

How do you define straight edge?

Being straightedge, to me, is different because it’s being mindful of yourself and others. So taking care of your body and your mental health: eat healthy, workout regularly. Looking out for your fellow humans: basic things like reduce-reuse-recycle or being an ally/support for others, supporting their work/art on a day to day basis or supporting them in times of need/crisis. My mindfulness even extending to respecting animal lives and not involving them in my diet or products I use in my daily life, veganism is a wonderful companion to my straightedge living.

How important is music to your relationship with straight edge? 

I didn’t actually claim Edge until just over a year ago, surprisingly. And it was when I was getting far more heavily back into the music scene. So that’s a grey area for me. I had really only considered myself “sober” until then. It does share a heavy influence from the music, though it seems possible that someone could maintain Edge ideologies without the music scene aspect.

What’s your straight edge story?

As just mentioned I really only claimed just over a year ago. Whenever people would offer me a drink at the shows I would do the “No, thanks. I’m sober” bit, to which more and more people in the scene would ask if I was “Straight edge”. So as time went on and I realized I had been doing more to take care of my body than just refusing alcohol and drugs, I finally stopped saying “I’m sober” and chose to start saying “I’m edge.”

Can you recall a pivotal moment or experience that solidified your commitment to straight edge?

The real thing for me was that I already knew I’m NEVER going to consume drugs or alcohol ever again, there’s just no excuse/reason good enough ever for me to do that again. So making that commitment and title more tangible for me was really cool. Gave me something to better explain the kind of life I choose to live.

How straight edge influenced your relationships with family, friends, and others?

Positively, without hesitation. I’ve been lucky that no one has tried to remain a negative influence in my life, (or maybe I’m just really good at ignoring that and also have a strong sense of “NO” when it comes to temptations) but I have accidentally found myself as a beacon for others who were in early stages of sobriety or nervous to claim the edge title as well. Which truly lights up my heart: you can do it- I promise! Just being in and around shows and events that provide alcohol to adults and refusing the entire time and still having such a great time keeps leading people to me as an inspiration to them that they could do the same. I am always willing to help others on their journey to or maintaining of sobriety. So it’s been incredibly positive and uplifting for me.

Looking back, is there anything about path into and through straight edge that you would do differently?

It’s hard for me to answer. I know NOW that I never want to poison my body again. I want to say that I wish I was lucky enough to have found this avenue from my early teen years to have avoided all the damage I did to myself and just refrained consumption entirely from the start, but maybe that just not the path I was supposed to be on. Who’s to say? Unfortunately societal standards and how my family behavior was as I was growing up really just fell into the traditional “drinking in moderation is fine” thing, so I drank for few years before unfortunately letting it getting out of control and ruining my life- almost until my end. But that close call lead me to sobriety and, now, my straightedge title and lifestyle. So why dwell on the past? I just want to keep living my best life that I can each day going forward.

True or False: “If you’re not now, you never were”?

Like my previous answer included, I didn’t really know about this path for life before I was kind of cast into “normie” drinking behavior, so once I brought myself out of it and THEN found the straightedge community and eventually claimed edge, this would all be for nothing if the statement “if you’re not now, you never were” is just the end-all-be-all. And that would be incredibly discouraging, which I don’t think is the mentality of CURRENT straightedge people. Though I have heard of how extreme the culture of Edge was not even that many years ago, I’m glad it seems to be leaning more towards the general inclusivity of getting/staying sober from drugs and alcohol.

Have you encountered any challenges or misconceptions about being straight edge?

Most misconceptions I’ve encountered are that edge people are preachy and mean about their lifestyle and can pressure or bully others who do partake in substances. I know that was how early edge people behaved, so I just let them know that I’m not like that (though I would gladly advise against continuing to poison one’s self, but I’m actively aware of this and intentionally am not “preachy” to others) and I’ll still hang with and be friends with people who do partake in basic substances like alcohol or marijuana/nicotine. I’d even go as far as to say that when they’re ready to stop doing those things I’m here for them as a support and resource.

Do you feel that your gender  or age has influenced your experience within the straight edge and hardcore scenes? 

The scene is becoming more inclusive by the day. That said, it’s still a mostly male dominated scene. So being a woman, it’s a bit tougher to find myself included or considered for things, again the scene is becoming so extensively inclusive these days. And I’m immensely proud of all of my non-male friends for being in this scene as being themselves so genuinely. It’s been an amazing thing to see.

In your view, how inclusive is the straight edge movement, and what steps could be taken to enhance its inclusivity?

It’s really becoming one of the most inclusive scenes to be a part of right now. I’m not sure much else could be done, I really like seeing the path it’s on now and rushing it or changing the course might actually do more harm than good.

In my brief time back in the scene I have been lucky enough to witness all sorts of inclusivity. All sorts of people of different genders, sexual preferences, races, ages, those differently-abled.. all have roles in bands, merch, flyers, promotion, recording, and more… it’s been really inspiring to see everyone in the scene just treat each other as humans first.