7 responses so far ↓

• 1 Craig // Aug 17, 2009 at 10:17 am

  *puke*

  One of the two sunstone sessions I attended was the LDS Purity Myth, and cited heavily from that book. I was completely appalled and disgusted.

  It amazes me that after all this time, the US is still so incredibly backwards in so many ways. I often wonder if we’re ever really going to be able to beat down the wilful ignorance and religious craziness and actually talk about the truth the way it is.

  Couple that with the whole conservative lying-fest with health care (and every other issue) makes me sometimes think that the US is just plain fucked. If even a democratic congress and president can’t get meaningful change in just one area because they won’t stand up to the crazies, what’s the chance we’ll ever have a truly realistic science-based society?

• 2 Sean // Aug 17, 2009 at 2:29 pm

  Yeah, I Twittered the link to that article while I was in the “Purity Myth” session with Craig. Shocking and infuriating, ain’t it? Why these people are given any credence at all—even by closed-minded fundies—I do not know. Ugh.

• 3 Shelly! // Aug 17, 2009 at 3:05 pm

  Urgh.

  I just spent the weekend with my 17 year-old cousin who gets most of her “sex ed” from some show called The Secret Life of the American Teenager. After watching a couple of episodes there is nothing of value in the show period but the “truths” about sex and sexuality from the show are so misleading.

  Like some from the article they (the show) seem to push the idea that getting pregnant is THE consequence for having teenage sex.

  Want to be a virgin until you’re married? Fine by me. But you need to understand what sex is, how to deal with urges that you and the people you date feel, how to take control & protect yourself should you decide to have sex and how to deal with ALL the consequences that follow (pregnancy being just one possibility).

  Honestly, I cannot wrap my head around people who feel that scaring their kids out of sex or not telling them about it will solve the problem.

• 4 Craig // Aug 17, 2009 at 3:40 pm

  I for one really hope my kids (if ever I’m responsibly for any) have sex. I plan to teach them all about contraception, masturbation, and healthy gender roles. If they want to have sex with appropriate-aged peers, I’m going to encourage that. Sex isn’t wrong, dirty, or bad. It’s fun, pleasurable, natural and healthy, and everyone should know that they can have sex safely.

• 5 John // Aug 17, 2009 at 6:48 pm

  This about summed up the article for me:

  “the virginity movement is much more than the same old sexism; it’s a targeted and well-funded backlash hellbent on rolling back women’s rights using modernized notions of purity, morality and sexuality. Its goals are mired in old-school gender roles, and its primary tool is young women’s sexuality.”

  What bugs me is that these people claim to have the moral high ground, and our society is Puritan or guilty enough as a whole to cede it to them.

• 6 Elaine // Aug 17, 2009 at 8:55 pm

  You guys here know me. You know I’m rarely speechless. But…

  There really are no words for the enormity of the disservice these folks are trying to do to young people.

  I just…no. There are no words.

• 7 xJane // Aug 18, 2009 at 7:00 pm

  Heh, I must’ve stolen it from your tweet, Sean, sry for not giving props to you before (I totally intend to do hat tips but then I forget where I saw stuff). Here is a hat-tip to Isaac: Why Is This Number Not Zero?!

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