KABAM!

Wow. If you have a few minutes now or later, please read this article by Courtney A. Martin: "Virgin or Slut: Pick One. Why teenagers are so screwed up about sex and their bodies"

The article speaks for itself and is worth the 3 minute read. An excerpt to convince you:

Here, the message to young women is also resolute: Your body is dangerous. Control it. Ignore it. Don't ask any questions. Teen girls are cast as asexual princesses happily trapped in towers, guarded by their Bible verse-spouting fathers. The message to young men is more subtle. In this fairy tale written, produced and directed by abstinence-only advocates, teenage guys are both potential villains -- the oversexed, hormone-crazed young men who must be refused continuously by good girls -- or potential knights in shining armor -- saving enough money from their summer jobs to buy sparkling rings that will save their sweeties from the hell of slutdom.

I grew up with some serious sexual expression and freedom issues. Although I didn't get an exclusive "abstinence only" education in school, church trumped all knowledge received in school with guilt. Wait till you're married. Just thinking about it is sexual imorality. Jesus can see you kissing your boyfriend. What would Jesus do? Jesus is in your bedroom watching you. Wear this purity ring. Save yourself. If you wait until you're married you'll have no other penises to compare to. Become a born-again virgin.

Become a born-again virgin. Someone actually recommend I do that... years back; bawling with guilt in a church after fucking my boyfriend. But that, THAT I could not do nor did I want to. First of all, it didn't make sense and sounded stupid. It was complicated; because I took responsibility for my actions but suffered the psychological repercussions that years of baptist rhetoric bullshit had infused into my sex-conscience growing up. I feel for our girls and boys searching for their blossom into adulthood. Martin's article is moving and important. Please pass it along and talk to a 12 year old about their dreams and challenges. Let's let the pre-teens and teens in our lives know that they are beautiful, lovely, sexual people and equip them with knowledge to make responsible decisions.