Apr 29, 2009
Actually it's only my 18th-most precious gift.
What Jessica says: "Valuing young women for their virginity is still valuing them for their sexuality. Women are multi-faceted human beings and this obsession with abstinence is just the flip-side of the oversexualization of young girls, in that they both reduce women to what they do with their bodies."
What conservatives hear: "SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX."
Thus proving the point.
I haven't read her book (it just came out) but I've seen or heard her on a couple shows now, and the reaction she keeps getting is the "what's wrong with abstinence?" strawman. But she's not arguing against abstinence itself; she's arguing against reducing women to their sexual status, whether they're having sex or not.
The proper conservative comeback — and one guest does make this point — is that, in fact, women should be valued mainly for their sexuality, because a woman's sexuality is the greatest gift she has to offer to the world. I disagree, but bonus points for staying on topic.
Anyway, you should listen to this, just to hear the guest who calls in with the "trash in the street" analogy. This man identifies himself as a high school teacher. Egad.
