By Andy B. Hammond, 8 months and 1 day ago

Feminist Horrified and Disturbed by Abstinence Education

Missoula had feminist blogger Jessica Valenti give the keynote speech at a UM Students for Choice and NARAL Pro-Choice Montana event this weekend.

In the article, Ms. Valenti makes some very interesting and revealing comments about her views on birth control and abstinence. She calls the promotion and education of abstinence horrifying and disturbing.

Aside from legislative pressures and rollbacks under the Bush administration, other disturbing cultural practices have surfaced, she said.

Valenti told her audience she is particularly horrified by «Purity Balls,» which started in Colorado Springs, Colo. The formal event, much like a high school prom, is a father-daughter dance that is federally funded through abstinence-only education programs.

«It's really disturbing,» Valenti said. «It's horrific. Go on YouTube and check it out.»

Aside from being «incestuous and creepy,» what Valenti finds the most upsetting is that the Purity Balls imply that a young woman can't make important decisions for herself regarding her own body.

I find her views on abstinence disturbing. I think Ms. Valenti has some serious personal issues she needs to work out. To claim that «Purity Balls» are «incestuous and creepy» because loving fathers are parenting their daughters to make good choices, practice self control and personal responsibility is ignorant. How dare she claim a father-daughter dance promoting abstinence and purity is incestuous.

I go back to what I've said many times before, people need to practice self control and personal responsibility. If they cannot afford birth control, don't want to get pregnant, and don't want to get a STD, practice abstinence. If one makes a bad choice, one shouldn't expect the taxpayer to bail them out.

One interesting point I noticed in the article that was cleverly glossed over was the event was scheduled with the intent to recruit young women to be future feminist leaders. From a couple of sentences in the article, it was evident that the audience was filled with old school feminists, local liberal politicians and men.

She got her mixed crowd of students, retirees, working moms, local politicians and middle-age men laughing over a true tale dubbed «boobgate» in the blogosphere.

«I think she's delightful,» said Vickie Amundson, 62. «I liked her ability to stay humorous about all of these issues, because if you lose your sense of humor, they've got you.»

Although the event was geared to finding and recruiting young activists, the cross-generational turnout for the event was a wonderful surprise, Hagen said.

In order to dispel the impression that the gathering did not attract as many young women as hoped, «unbiased reporter» Betsy Cohen added this sentence.

In many ways, the crowd represented the passing of the torch to the younger generation.

I give a lot of credit to the younger generation. They know what is right and what is wrong. The fact that this event did not draw the numbers of young women but rather drew the usual crows crowd of old school feminists and liberals, is refreshing and encouraging.

21 comments

Gravatar #1. Missy W.
8 months and 1 day ago

The «usual crows of old school feminists and liberals»? You mean the usual dry cows, don't you?

Gravatar #2. Andy B. Hammond
8 months and 1 day ago

Missy,
Crows is not what I intended - I fixed it - but appropriate! Your suggestion is funny as well!

Gravatar #3. Steve T.
8 months and 1 day ago

It's really too bad that every single study on the topic has found out that abstinence education doesn't work, isn't it, Andy?

But then again, it's not about results. It's about parading around a pretend sense of moral superiority.

Gravatar #4. Colby Natale
8 months ago

Don't bother Steve; we won't answer direct challenges to his flimsy hypothesis. He never does.

Gravatar #5. Andy B. Hammond
8 months ago

I try to live my life by moral standards that are based on my Christian beliefs. If my expressing my moral standards offends and bothers some, I really don't care. I also don't always see the need to defend them.

I know that Steve T. and Colby, deep down, know I am right.

Gravatar #6. goof houlihan
8 months ago

Having Purity Balls can be pretty painful.

I'm not much for abstinence or for those who are offended by it, either. Too many people too easily offended these days.

Gravatar #7. Colby Natale
7 months and 28 days ago

You have seriously got to be kidding me Andy; if you wanna waste your time pontificating on your blog without defense, that is your prerogative - I don't get it, but whatever.

But don't act like some psychic who knows what I «really» think; that is asinine. I have never hidden my views, so you could try asking instead of assuming.

You really should get a radio show like your pal Rush; it is so much easier to blatantly ignore opposing ideas in a medium such as that. It would suit you. Why you choose to blog I will never understand...

Gravatar #8. Rocky Smith
7 months and 28 days ago

Abstinence works 100% of the time when employed as birth control. It can protect against the spread of disease as well. I see no problem with promoting it. Will every kid follow abstinence? Of course not. That is why both sides of the story must be told. Birth control options should be explained and all reproductive facts should be taught. Let's not be afraid of facts. If we were to leave our kids in ignorance, bad things could befall them. I made sure my son knows the facts, has access to birth control and has the sense not to need it.

Gravatar #9. Boot Monument
7 months and 28 days ago

Colby, you're a documented sodomite enabler from the California ACLU. You're not fooling anybody about what you «think.» You don't even have any morals.

Gravatar #10. Colby Natale
7 months and 27 days ago

Oh this again. Um, I don't ever remember saying I wasn't with the ACLU. Not that I am anymore, I have been living back in Montana for two years now. I also never denied that I was for gay rights and marriage equality (since I won't use your ignorant term). When did I try to 'fool' anybody about what I think; I am pretty up-front.

Regardless, everybody has morals (which are just beliefs). Just because they don't line up with yours doesn't mean they don't exist.

Gravatar #11. Boot Monument
7 months and 27 days ago

Let's see. Colby promotes sodomites, the most diseased people on the planet, responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands and the loss of millions in public funds.

Let's see. Colby supports the ACLU, an organization that spends most of its time supplying America with abortions and pornography, when it is not busy destroying families and religious faith. And, oh yes, polluting American society with more sodomites.

Let's see. Colby's morals don't line up with yours because you have positive morals and his are depraved, inverted, and negative.

Get lost, Colby. You're just another creep from California. And you're not fooling anybody.

Gravatar #12. Colby Natale
7 months and 24 days ago

Lived there for three years; not from there. Thank you very much. I am sure you can put your oh-so-impressive research skills to the test and verify that.

I was born in Montana, grew up in Montana, and currently live in Montana. Get your facts straight.

Gravatar #13. Boot Monument
7 months and 23 days ago

I got my facts straight. You went to California, became a creep, and returned to Montana. Thus, you're just another creep from California.

Let me give you a little advice, sick boy: You will never, ever be a Montanan again with the twisted «morality» you have adopted. You might be the darling of some Bozeman subculture at the moment, but so long as you promote degenerates and their degenerate ideas, Montana is not your home.

One last thing. Montanans are a forgiving folk. When you admit that you were wrong in advocating sodomy and change your ways, Montanans will accept you back. That is assuming you do not do too much more damage to our fair state in the meantime, of course.

Gravatar #14. Colby Natale
7 months and 22 days ago

Wow, your originality is inspiring; such witty insults: sick boy, creep...

I have a little advice back, if you think Montanan means your close-minded, backward looking ignorance, then I will happily toss your worthlessly un-Montanan opinion to the curb.

As for the darling-subculture, that shows how little you know what you're talking about...

And you're right, Montanans are a pretty forgiving lot, except when it comes to inexcusable bigotry of the kind you spew. Too bad for you.

Gravatar #15. Boot Monument
7 months and 22 days ago

It hurts, doesn't it, Colby? You come out of your liberal, self-inflating Bozeman bubble for a second, look around, and what do you see? Nobody in your state agrees with your despicable «morality.»

Ah, that's too bad. You probably wish you still had your creepy California support group—you know, the ones that look like vampires with the abscesses around their genitals filled with flesh-eating bacteria?

Ha ha ha. You played the bigot card. And I'm uncreative? Ha ha ha.

Gravatar #16. Colby Natale
7 months and 22 days ago

It only hurts to see you waste your effort to cut me down so weakly. I don't have a Bozeman bubble or a California support group; those are just more strawmen you made up because they are easier to go after than I am. Apparently, taking me on in any honest debate is too much for you, just like it proves too much for Andy. Sure, I will respond here, only because of how entertaining it is to see you work so hard to try and belittle me, all to no avail.

Go on, let's see whats next...

Gravatar #17. Boot Monument
7 months and 22 days ago

No attempt at belittlement, Colby. It goes without saying that anyone who promotes sodomy and sodomites is already a base creature filled with contempt for life and mankind.

I merely called attention to your depraved associations in California as a proof of your moral bankruptcy and therefore your obvious unfitness to discuss the subject of morality. And since you did not deny your background, but rather only tried to minimize it, I see nothing to debate here.

Or do you wish to advance the proposition that sodomy and sodomites represent a social good? Would you be foolish enough to debate that?

Gravatar #18. Colby Natale
7 months and 21 days ago

You sound like Giuliani and 9/11: sodomy, sodomy, sodomy... Do you know any other words? Seems like you are a little preoccupied with that notion; is that something you tend to think about a lot?

And again with this morality crap; even though I would argue that I have plenty of morals, I never brought that up here until you did. I did not try to «discuss the subject of morality», as you continue to insist. See again, you are trying to paint me into a corner that I never sat in instead of arguing what I am actually saying, you never do.

Certainly, I would advance A proposition, although not the one that you (again!) try to throw onto me. Actually, I would advance serveral: 1) That a tendency to belittle and name call gay people represents a very outdated and increasingly unpopular mindset. 2) That your anger at the topic just shows that you understand that your view is slowly being left behind. 3) That sexual equality does represent a social good. If you actually feel like debating any of those, you know where to find me. I don't think Andy deserves any more comment traffic at his site, especially since he continues to avoid any opportunity to actual participate in two-way conversation.

Gravatar #19. Jay Stevens
7 months and 21 days ago

Man, is that «Boot» guy for real? Congratulations, Andy. With friends like these....ugh. Is this what passes for «Christianity» in these parts?

Gravatar #20. Boot Monument
7 months and 21 days ago

What a bunch of dissembling cowards.

First, Colby Natale gets his tits caught in the wringer and thinks he can babble his way free with standard liberal slogans. Next, with a limp wrist he throws down his little gauntlet and growls kitten-like, «You know where to find me!»

[Exeunt Colby, stage left.]

But, hearing Colby's cries for help, Montana's Mr. Mom, Jay Stevens, belatedly rushes in and attempts to pull Colby free by claiming Andy Hammond and Boot Monument are Christian pals. (Weak diversion there, Jay. Don't you have something more manly to do, like getting dinner ready for the kids?)

Gravatar #21. Anonymous in Bozeman
7 months and 21 days ago

Boot, you forgot to mention Stevens just moved here from Massachusetts another fag loving state like California. Figures right?

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