March 6, 2013
- The Purity Myth: the Virginity Movement's War Against Women Film
- Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
- Location: University Union, Sandburg Theater
- Description: University Libraries and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology will present the film, “The Purity Myth: the Virginity Movement’s War Against Women” on Wednesday, March 6, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at the University Union, Sandburg Theatre. A discussion, led by Sociology Professors Craig Tollini; Beate Wilson; and Bridget Welch, will be held after the film.
In this video adaptation of her bestselling book, pioneering feminist blogger Jessica Valenti trains her sights on “the virginity movement” – an unholy alliance of evangelical Christians, right-wing politicians, and conservative policy intellectuals who have been exploiting irrational fears about women’s sexuality to roll back women’s rights. From dad-and-daughter “purity balls,” taxpayer-funded abstinence-only curricula, and political attacks on Planned Parenthood, to recent attempts by legislators to de-fund women’s reproductive health care and narrow the legal definition of rape, Valenti identifies a single, unifying assumption: the myth that the worth of a woman depends on what she does – or does not do – sexually. In the end, Valenti argues that the health and well-being of women are too important to be left to ideologues bent on vilifying feminism and undermining women’s autonomy, according to the film’s producers.
This film presentation is part of the Art and Self Perception event series coordinated by University Libraries. Please contact University Libraries' Administration Office at (309) 298-2762 with any questions.
- Related Web Site: Art and Self Perception
- Contact Information:
Tammy Sayles
Phone: 309-298-3298
Email: TJ-Sayles@wiu.edu - Source: Libraries
