So, just what are we talking about?

[Doc]

There is a book called Drama Queens, I forget the author. But it tells the story of American Goth.

Many Goths will vehemently deny it, but, the Modern American Gothic Culture has it's roots in the underground homosexual groups of the 40's, 50's, and 60's. The Quiet Clubs, Hush Halls, and Closets. It was common for folks frequenting these establishments to go while "Dressing Vicky" or dressing in vaguely Victorian outfits. Underground theatre and dance was filled with early Gothic influence. Dramatic flair was all part of the game and slowly oozed over into mainstream American culture. In the late 60's, it began coming out of the closet, and, in the 70's, with movies like The Rocky Horror Picture Show Goth became a fad for all sorts of folks, both gay and straight. With the birth of the Vampire Cults back in the 50's and 60's in Naw'Lins, Goth gained new blood, pardon the pun, as the two alternative lifestyles meshed well together, taking place behind closed doors, and both requiring a real flair of the dramatic. Dolls began "Dressing Vicky" in the early days of the punk music explosion, to piss off the conformists. That had mixed results though, as most Punks found it sporting to pound on the homosexuals and often beat on one another out of confusion. Goth became a catch all for anything non conformist and the means for whiney teenagers everywhere to piss of their parents.

In short, it's a mish mash of pretty much everything that is both underground and American.