Virginity: Difference between revisions

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'''Virginity''' is a manmade patriarchal concept used to oppress [[Woman|women]] for promiscuity. It is the state of a person who has never indulged in sexual activity. For [[Moid|men]], having lost his virginity is a celebration and is seen as an accomplishment in his life. Contrary to men, women who are no longer considered virgins are seen as 'un-pure and used' by society, often subject to [[Misogyny|misogynistic]] slurs and harassment.
'''Virginity'''
 
'''Virginity''' is a manmade patriarchal concept used to oppress [[Woman|women]] for promiscuity. It is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual activity. For [[Moid|men]], losing virginity is often celebrated and framed as an accomplishment. In contrast, women who are no longer considered virgins are stigmatized as 'impure' or 'used,' often subjected to [[Misogyny|misogynistic]] slurs and harassment.<ref>Coontz, Stephanie. ''Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage''. Penguin, 2005.</ref><ref>Angier, Natalie. ''Woman: An Intimate Geography''. Holt, 1999.</ref>


[[File:Oppressive virginity.jpg|thumb|Society being weird]]
[[File:Oppressive virginity.jpg|thumb|Society being weird]]
==Demonization of female sexuality==
==Demonization of female sexuality==
Female sexuality has long been suppressed, demonized, and infantilized. Male sexuality is seen as the norm, while female sexuality is seen as secondary and non-existent. It is a common misconception that women are broadly asexual creatures. During sexual education classes, boys are encouraged to explore their urges from a young age, while girls solely are taught about motherhood, childbearing and menstruation. Girls are commonly taught to remain passive, silent, and ashamed of their sexuality. Masturbation is considered normal, even healthy, for boys but when a girl discovers her own body, she is seen as broken, corrupted, or acting out.
Female sexuality has historically been suppressed, demonized, and infantilized. Male sexuality is treated as natural, while female sexuality is marginalized.<ref>Foucault, Michel. ''The History of Sexuality, Volume 1''. Vintage, 1990.</ref> During sexual education, boys are encouraged to explore their urges, while girls are primarily taught about reproduction and menstruation. Girls are socialized to remain passive, silent, and ashamed of sexual curiosity. Masturbation is normalized for boys, whereas girls exploring their bodies are often labeled as corrupted or deviant.<ref>Tolman, Deborah L. ''Dilemmas of Desire: Teenage Girls Talk about Sexuality''. Harvard University Press, 2002.</ref>


==Fetishization in media==
==Fetishization in media==
This double standard reinforces the idea that male desire is natural while female desire is deviant. Women are expected to appear sexually appealing but remain sexually inexperienced. Their bodies are commodified while simultaneously subjected to social restrictions, emphasizing infantilized purity.<ref>Smith, Clarissa. ''One for the Girls: The Pleasures and Practices of Reading Women's Porn''. Sussex Academic Press, 2007.</ref>


This double standard reinforces the idea that male desire is natural while female desire is deviant. The expectation is that a woman should be sexually appealing, but never sexually active. Her body must be available, yet untouched. She must exist in a permanent state of childlike purity, resembling what she was at the age of ten: smooth-skinned, soft-spoken, docile, and ignorant.
Men frequently fetishize the artificial innocence of virgin women. Popular pornography categories such as "teen," "barely legal," and "stepdaughter" capitalize on the illusion of youth and inexperience.<ref>Attwood, Feona. ''Mainstreaming Sex: The Sexualization of Western Culture''. I.B. Tauris, 2009.</ref>
 


Men are widely known to fetishize the artificial innocence of a virgin woman. Pornography websites are infiltrated with categories such as "teen," "barely legal," and "stepdaughter", which are all built around the illusion of inexperience and youth.
==References==
<references />