Hardline (subculture)

In the vernacular, hardline means taking an intellectual or political position that is extreme and uncompromising. A different sense of the word is treated here.

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The Hardline movement was instigated by the band Vegan Reich, and can be considered as a more extreme form of straight edge. Hardline followers are expected to adhere to an interpretation of straight edge ideals at an uncompromising level. The most obvious thing that sets hardline apart is the advocation of violence in the furtherance of their beliefs, and the imposition of one's chosen lifestyle upon others. This philosophy was tied to both style and group mentality whereas Straight-edgers would prefer to leave such decisions as matters of personal choice.

For hardliners such beliefs include abstaining from drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, as well as sex, caffeine, and over-the-counter (and occasionally prescription) medicine. Furthermore, they typically adhere to strict veganism, not eating any foods that contain animal by-products or wearing any clothing that come from animals, such as leather, silk or wool. A strict interpretation of the hardline philosophy holds that sex is only for procreation. Most hardliners argue that homosexual behavior should therefore be avoided. Aside from homophobia, Hardline is also well known for its opposition to abortion rights and birth control.

Relations between hardliners and straight edgers tended to vary from community to community, from free association to polar opposition. The Hardline movement largely faded away towards the end of the 1990s.

After the demise of Hardline as an organization in the late 1990s, many members converted to a strange pseudo-Shi'ite brand of Islam and formed a group called the Taliyah al-Mahdi (taliyah.org), holding all of the same tenets as Hardline (veganism, deep ecology, no drinking, no smoking, no drugs, no pre-marital sex, no homosexuality, no abortion or birth control) as well as a fundamentalist millennial Islamic religious view.

Among the bands who adhered to the Hardline ideology aside from Vegan Reich were Day of Suffering (North Carolina, US), Contempt (Pennsylvania, US), Raid (Tennessee, US), Statement (UK), Absence (Italy) and Pain Runs Deep (Poland). Hip-hop artists Naj-One (AKA Foekus, AKA Foeknawledge) (Utah, US) and Amir Sulamain (Washington, DC, US) are members of Taliyah.

Hardline publications included the magazines "Destroy Babylon", "Contention Builder", "Declaration", "Unveil The Lies", "Defense, Rescue, Survival, "Vanguard", "Eco War", and "Vision of Strength".

"If you're not now, you never were" is not a Hardline slogan, but rather a common straight edge slogan.