The women's movement is about choice. A few months ago I was listening to a speech Steinem gave in an Indiana Univ. Someone asked her a question and don't recall exactly what was being discussed but Steinem mentioned born-again virgins and started laughing as did the audience. By her reaction, she made it seem that she believed choosing to reclaim your "virginity" was unwise. It really is not any of your buisness, I think. You are not hurting anyone and it is YOUR choice. I just found it hypocritical for her to act that way. What do you feel?
2007-12-31 06:48:39 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Social Science ➔ Gender Studies
Just to make sure, she wasnt referring to herself as a born again virgin (I thought that was clear but maybe not)
2007-12-31 07:01:46 · update #1
Personally I think it's very silly. A virgin is someone who had not had sexual relations with anyone before..nothing more or less than that.
Virginity is mostly a state of mind to my way of thinking. I don't think of myself as a virgin b/c it's not a positive thing to me.
If someone has actually had sex and feels that it was a mistake and she wishes she could start over I don't have a problem with what she calls herself though her values and experience are totally different from mine.
I think Gloria Steinem was probably laughing about "born again" virgins as humour in a comparison to something silly. I don't know the context she said it but this seems most likely to me that she was commenting on some hypocritical view. I wouldn't make much of it.
2007-12-31 07:35:09 · answer #1 · answered by ♥ ~Sigy the Arctic Kitty~♥ 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
The Cult of the Born Again Virgins is a very real movement in this country and I agree that no one has the right to judge if a sexually active person makes this choice to become celibate until marriage. A lot of couples counselors are ever recommending it during the engagement period to make the honeymoon and marriage ceremony more meaningful.
However, I didn't hear the speech and I'm sure not going to take you impression as fact of what was said and the audience reaction. You could be taking things out of context or have misunderstood what was said.
2007-12-31 15:34:44 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I didn't hear the speech, but I don't think it's possible to reclaim something you can only lose once. If you think that's actually possible and choose to believe it, that's fine. But the whole point of preserving it is that once it's gone, it's gone. Otherwise, I could choose to declare myself a virgin again every so often as it suited my fancy.
However, if her speech had nothing to do with defining the boundaries of the choices humans should have, like control over their own bodies and destiny, then she had no business chuckling. If it did, though, honestly I don't think you can choose to become a virgin if you aren't. That's the point of virginity.
2007-12-31 15:03:34 · answer #3 · answered by vintner 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
She can call herself whatever she wants, it's her business and I have no issues with that. Virginity is fine. Non-virginity is fine. Born-again virginity is fine.
My biggest laughter comes from anyone who attempts to attribute additional characteristics to chastity. Examples that I've heard are that virginity implies inherently higher morals, stronger values, more respect, and better virtues. News flash: it doesn't imply ANY of those.
It's the same insecure people who choose celibacy for the treatment that they assume they deserve from others, rather than a personal decision that has nothing to do with anybody else.
2007-12-31 15:00:19 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
What a joke, you're either a virgin or you're not. If they want delude themselves, they are free to do so.
2007-12-31 14:56:20 · answer #5 · answered by S P 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Born again virgin? I may not have my cherry, but I still have the box it came in...
2008-01-03 13:49:32 · answer #6 · answered by glaux_athena 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋