With the election just taking place, people who are on the more alternative side of TikTok are seeing a surge of “conservative goths.” People who dress in dark clothes, dye their hair black, listen to goth bands, etc. without actually identifying with the main indicator of a goth person: anti-establishment/ anti-capitalism. These people may identify as goth due to their visual aesthetic, but actively vote against the main idea that goths stand for. 

Gothic culture is considered to be a “counter-culture” as opposed to a subculture. What this means is that they are actively against being the norm, and some of the things they believe in go against what most people in society believe. Anti-establishment and anti-capitalism are some of the main marks of a goth person. These ideals go directly against conservative beliefs. 

While some may argue that being goth is about how you dress or the music you listen to, I argue that it is primarily based on your views and morals as a person. There’s been a trend of alternative presenting people claiming, “Democrats like me because I look like them, republicans like me because I think like them.” Giving a stereotypical view of democrats where we already have a surplus of discrimination due to the diversity of the party. 

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While of course, I won’t dictate how anyone dresses, it feels as if it’s a costume when you believe in the opposite ideals of the people you claim to resonate with. Being goth, despite popular opinion, is not about the music, or how you dress, though those traits tie into it. It’s about who you are.