The Virgin/Whore Dichotomy

If you're a woman then you are either a virgin or a whore. There is no grey area. And if you are a virgin then you are automatically considered "good" and if you are labeled a whore then you are automatically considered "evil." This is an age old issue for women while men are praised for the amount of notches they can add to their belts.

The problem is that women are most often judged solely based on their sexual experiences, this is where their value and worth stems from. People have a hard time NOT judging women based on who is or has been in their beds, when it is none of their business in the long run and for the most part we are misjudging what important characteristics and talents women can bring to the table because we are afraid of how comfortable they are sexually.

It is no secret that men and women are anatomically created to enjoy sex, so why do we act so surprised when women participate willingly in sexual activities? Why is society so afraid of strong, vocal women who are comfortable with their bodies and their sex lives? Men are encouraged to lose their virginity as soon as possible while women are encouraged to save it for as long as they can. Why does there have to be an influence at all?

Little girls are named Chastity and Prudence in hopes that they will instill these virtues throughout their lives. Instead of being taught that sex is not evil they are taught that if a boy really loves you he will wait until you are both married. The instillment of marriage is another problem all together but I'll save society's interference on marriage for another day.

Every woman knows what it is like to be the virgin and the whore at some point in her life. The virgin is eventually made to feel guilty once she crosses over that threshhold and instead of encouraging young women the proper healthy way to be sexually active and being in control of their own bodies we brainwashing them into thinking that they must remain virginal little girls well into adulthood.

These are the only two types of women presented in the bible through the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene. These are the only types of women that girls get to be familiar with and neither of these "types" have accomplished anything worthwhile other than abstaining from sex. How the hell does abstaining from sex have anything to do with women as individual people?!

It is not easy for men and women to see women as people who have individual interests, talents, and personalities when we are too busy teaching boys and girls that good little girls remain virgins and bad little girls are sexually active. Next time you find yourself juding a women on her sexual experiences rather than her actions perhaps you will take the issues in this blog into consideration.

Perhaps you will teach your sons and daughters that the virgin and the whore is as ancient and outdated an idea as the world is flat and not round.