Purity Culture

Purity culture promised that sexual abstinence until marriage would lead to fulfilling lives and strong families—instead, it left generations traumatized, ashamed of their bodies, and struggling with intimacy even after marriage. These conversations reveal how the '90s evangelical obsession with virginity pledges and "True Love Waits" campaigns weaponized shame against women, LGBTQ people, and anyone who didn't conform to rigid gender roles, while male sexuality got a pass as "just their nature." The damage extends far beyond personal trauma: purity culture's roots in eugenics and white supremacy connect directly to today's legislative attacks on reproductive rights, trans healthcare, and comprehensive sex education—proving that controlling sexuality has always been about maintaining power, not protecting anyone.