What does the word 'goth' mean to you?

I wrote this on a different blog ages ago, but I thought i'd share it with you anyhow. Again it is my view..

This is my own personal opinion..if you don't like it then tough as people are entitled to their own opinion!

To be honest, 'Goth' or 'Gothic' in my opinion, is just a word or label that people of social outcast feel they want to place themselves under. Everyone is different. Just because someone wants to laze around in jogging bottoms and listen to night-wish, then does that make them a goth? It's almost a trend that people feel they have to follow....BECAUSE IT'S THERE!!!

No one is able to do what they want, or be who they want to be because of this. So because there are so many different trends out there, and u wear what you like, or listen to whatever music you want to, what label would you be put under? If you want to wear tracksuit bottoms but listen to Disturbed, does that make you a Goth or a Townie? You wear black eyeliner and bright colors, yet you want to listen to classical music, does that make you an Emo or a punk? No! It makes you who you are!. There is nothing wrong with either of the above comments. It's just how badly society has downgraded that they expect people to be a certain thing or to be called a certain name. We are who we are no matter what music we listen to or the clothes that we wear! At least it SHOULDN'T matter! If that's the way they choose to live then so be it. Each to their own...

'Goth' Doesn't necessarily mean you HAVE to wear dark clothing and black nail polish and EMO doesn't mean you 'HAVE' to be called an emotional self harmer who thinks nothing of themselves and has accepted this role in society and what society has done to US as people! We should be free to express how we want to express ourselves, whether it be doing certain things or wearing certain things or even the type of music that we listen to. We shouldn't be made to pass judgment on others!

And why is it that 'goths' are always perceived to be nasty vindictive people that everyone seems to be scared of? I have a lot of goth friends and they are the nicest people you could ever meet! Clothing or trend has nothing to do with the personality or trait of that person, and people should see past everything else! I don't see why people have to feel they should dress a certain way or have a certain look to 'FIT' in. The world has become BACKWARDS and its a shame...a real shame...!!