Goth.

It's not about wearing black eyeliner and chalk white makeup. It's not about the devil. It's not about death.

The trouble with any subculture is that the mainstream community usually has some sort of misconception about it, and because human nature is what it is, these misconceptions usually lead to trepidation, misgivings, and fear. So, let me take a moment to tell you what goth means to me, your humble closeted goth girl.

Let us look first at the history of the word "goth." A goth was a term used to describe anything "non-Roman." The Goths were a tribe of people who did not take to being "conquered" by the Romans in the early part of the first millenium. The Romans brought with them a new way of life which stood to undermine every part of the Goth's heritage and culture. If this would happen today, people would be outraged and white girls would probably host a 5K.

But that was thousands of years ago. The world was different. How does this pertain to the "goth" subculture of today? It might sound super cliched, but the goth subculture is to an extent an attempt to fight back the "Roman" (read mainstream) influences on our lives. It's a mindset, not a fashion, though we often use fashion to express ourselves. What's the easiest way to show that we do not go along with the mainstream? Dress against the mainstream.

But Goth is much more than a reactionary effort. My experience with goth has led me to believe that it is about honesty. The type of honesty that people are afraid to admit. It's that honest little voice that tells us life is hard and the same voice that tells us it's okay to be sad sometimes. Our society has had this obsession with happiness ever since some guy who wore knickers declared that we have a right to it. But sometimes, it's okay to be unhappy. Bad things happen to good people because that's the way life works.

I think a major misconception that a lot of people have about goths is that they are sad people, but if you ever meet some, you will find that a lot of times they are in fact incredibly happy individuals who love life. Part of this love I think comes from the fact that they accept the good and the bad that comes their way.

Another misconception is the notion of religion. While yes, there are many among the goth community who are either atheistic or worship some form of "pagan" religion...there is even a satanic church, many goths do not. Worshiping the devil is NOT a requirement to being Goth. I am a perfect example of that: I consider myself to be a closeted goth girl, yet I am a devout Catholic.

And finally, we don't all wear black. I wear Carolina Blue and paint my face on game day. I wear reds and purples and a few teals. I do not wear all black. I don't need to in order to fit into the mold of being a goth. There is no formal dress code.

So there you go...I know that from that little blurb there is a lot left unsaid about the goth subculture, but hopefully some misconceptions have been corrected.