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by Abby Rosenstein, State Strategies Coordinator
Mayor Joan Foster of Lynchburg, Virginia has announced a Day of Purity Proclamation, and in doing so, has joined the Liberty Council's "Day of Purity," to take place on February 14, 2011.
This year will be the eighth annual Day of Purity - "a day on which students can make a public demonstration of their committment to remain sexually pure, in mind and actions." Liberty Council encourages participants to wear white, sign a "purity pledge," and wear wristbands to signal their intention to remain abstinent outside of marriage. The Day of Purity's facebook fan page states that they "promote that you DO have the choice to remain sexually pure," but then goes on to state that the Day of Purity "is designed for students of all ages who commit to remain sexually pure until marriage." This isn't about an individual's choice to abstain from sex - this is about enforcing a singular ideology on everyone, regardless of whether or not it is right for them, or even includes them at all.
If the Liberty Council wants to sponsor a Day of Purity and allow private oranizations to sign onto it, they certainly have a right to do so. But the Liberty Council encourages public officials to issue legislative resolutions and executive proclamations in support of the Day of Purity, and that's not right.
To keep young people safe and thriving, we need public officials to support education and public health, not ideology. |
