Abstinence My Ass

[legalmoose]

I'm a bit ticked over an article over at The Nation on a Federally-funded abstinence-only program in Louisiana. The subject of the article was annoying enough, but I'm more ticked that, while discussing the biases the program has, and how it's essentially a funnel for money to cultural nutbags, it absolutely failed to make any mention of the bias such programs have against gay and lesbian students.

As the article pointed out, participants are asked to take a pledge:

No one on the capitol steps in Baton Rouge on that April morning seems to be judging the virginity pledge as an exercise in futility, though. Indeed, the crowd of teens so revved up by Dee Burbank's speech grows solemn as a robed judge appears and asks them to raise their right hands. "Do you swear or affirm to speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God?" Judge Glenn Gremillion asks the crowd before telling them to repeat after him: "I promise to abstain from all sexual activity from this day until I'm married."

So, in essence, then, since gays and lesbians in this country (outside of Massachusetts) cannot marry, the program is asking gay and lesbian teens to be celibate for the rest of their natural lives. And this is supposed to help them and/or be healthy for them how exactly?

What a crock of shit, and shame on The Nation for not pointing this out in their article.

Comments

[valiantdarke.livejournal.com]

Wait...

OMG! you mean You have sex???

Gay people don't have sex!

I mean why would we want to? ew, gross.

*evil grin*

...

seriously though... these things make me throw up jsut a little every time I hear about a new one.

My high school used to have things like this... one was called the Pride Club. To get in you couldn't drink, smoke, have sex, curse, blah blah blah...

Lemme tell ya these were the first people lighting up in their cars, drinking and smoking out on the weekends.

One day I voiced this and the guidance councellor heard me and screamed at me for about 30 minutes.

I told my mom and Whoo Boy! Lemme Tell Ya! My mom nearly killed that bitch! lol

[mommaof5320.livejournal.com]

What should it say? Just because you cant be legally married doesn't mean you cant be in relationship that you consider marriage. I'm not criticizing only wondering how you would word it.

[jarlsberg71.livejournal.com]

I promise to be a virgin till I'm married :) I will not sleep with a woman before I am married to one.

[tongsinanpei.livejournal.com]

Well said.
I really wonder where all these abstinence programmes are heading.