Caught in the web: Male Goths using online ICTs to transcend rural reality

This empirical qualitative study explores male Goths' lived experiences in rural Australia. Offline, participants felt rural communities' 'conservatism' and hegemonic masculinity norms restricted their Goth identity expression and subcultural participation. Further, their commonly perceived homosexuality, irrespective of self-identified sexuality, was believed responsible for much assault, ostracism, and 'othering' experienced in rural, but not urban, environments. To escape rural realities and engage in 'authentic' identity expression, participants vociferously interacted in online communities which, more than augmenting offline reality, created opportunities systemically impossible due to rurality and permitted subcultural participation and self-identity expression they believed reduced isolation and positively affected their mental health.