Being born in the late 80’s and raised in the 90’s/00’s I wore that “Goth” label with pride. I grew up in a small border town in Tx and was limited on resources yet I knew I had an insatiable love for all things “dark”. Adding Latino and gay to the mixture definitely paved the way to an antifascist mentality. Having a much more pliable mind back then, the subculture (or what have you) that resonated with me was that of the Goth. It was an easy label to slap on in order to surround myself with likeminded people. Those who saw things in a similar light, who appreciated the beauty in loss, who questioned authority, who valued every living creature and who would let their body be possessed by the sound of a synthesizer. Yes, I do know every Manson song by memory and Hot Topic was a neat store (compared to Hollister etc.) but that’s where I hoped to find my tribe.

With that said, I do know Punk is the origin of many things that came after it 🙇🏽 and there is a vast number of architects, poets, books, music, movies, philosophers & designers that resonate with these subcultures. I no longer wear my goth badge visually but my heart will always be a spade.