Put a Purity Ring on it

Thanks to Womanist Musings for bringing this video to my attention.

Description: The video begins with a young girl sitting in a car, being pressured to have sex with her boyfriend, while she is reading the bible. He informs her that he has the house to himself and that she should come over. She then enters a day dream set to the to the tune of Beyonce's Put a Ring on it. The lyrics are about promising to choose and love God and making the choice to wear a purity ring to keep herself pur. When the scene shifts back to the car, she tell him she won't be joining him because she has, "already put a purity ring on it."



I'll tell you why this video frightens me. As a Progressive Christian woman I have a problem with purity rings. In my opinion it's a symbol of bumper sticker religion. What I am saying is I believe that there is a certain novelty that comes along with purity rings. Supposedly purity rings are meant to serve as a reminder to those who wear it and also as a warning to those who may attempt to evade a woman's space. Usually along with the purity ring comes a vow to stay chaste until a wedding night. If a woman is truly set on remaining abstinent I'm not sure why a vow is needed. However, many girls and young women make this vow not only to God but to their fathers. God may have given us the gift of sexuality but it is up to us to make a choice as what to do with it. Hopefully we all make choices that are safe and healthy. However, promising ourselves to God or fathers is a clear statement that women are owned. In other words purity rings add up to sexism and oppression.

Also, I should mention it is rare that men wear purity rings themselves. The focus of purity rings are placed on women. It is as if to say that women do not pursue men on their own but it is the men that are constantly seeking out women. Women too have sexual feelings of their own.

I think purity rings are a set up for failure. If a woman is to break her vow then she is seen as impure or dirty. I have no problem women and men of any age who choose abstinence. In fact I think it's probably a good idea for young teens who are slowly coming into their own. However, I think that wearing a ring and being taught about abstinence only is harming our youth. I think it is important to speak up about safe sex practices. Unfortunately in many religious circles it is taboo to speak about safe sex as it is often viewed as encouragement to have sex. Many Conservative Christians believe that once you place the idea of sex in a child's mind, even if it is the idea of safe sex, they are doomed. I think it is strange that this group of Christians do not pause to think that our youth are already thinking about sex being that they are human.

I think it's fine to offer up the idea of abstinence as an option to our youth but why not speak about safe sex as well?