5 Social Media Accounts Helping People Grow Past Fundamentalism
These resources may validate your experiences and help you feel more comfortable in your body.
If you live in the United States, you’ve probably heard the term “purity culture” at some point.
Purity culture consists of sexual and gender norms many Christian denominations expect their members to adhere to. It encourages complete abstinence and may discourage many types of sexual behaviors or acts that are perfectly normal, such as masturbation and sexual thoughts. Some preachers or denominations even discourage things as benign as dating, spending time alone with a significant other, or holding hands.
A few other common beliefs in purity culture:
- Women must dress modestly to avoid tempting men
- Sex must be only between heterosexual married couples
- People who acquire sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are being punished for their sins
Evangelicals also have a strong presence in elections and government, which has allowed them to influence sex education in the United States.
According to the University of Southern California’s Department of Nursing, only 13 of the country’s 50 states mandate medically accurate sex education. This means a majority of students in the United States aren’t given accurate information on safe sex, informed consent, or how to deal with potential grooming and abuse.
Christianity isn’t the only religion in the world that propagates unhealthy attitudes about sex or negates bodily autonomy for women, nonbinary people, and the LGBTQ+ community. However, it’s prevalent in countries such as the United States, which create influential media that reaches the world.
How social media can help
Social media has provided a platform for compassionate people to speak about the harms of purity culture, its iterations, and effects on our culture as a whole.
These are only a fraction of the resources out there that may validate your experiences, help you discover ways to feel more comfortable in your body, and find others who understand you.
Talk Purity To Me
Run by Erica Smith, Talk Purity To Me is an Instagram account that helps people who dealt with purity culture growing up. Smith talks about her personal experiences, posts resources, memes, political updates, and funny content to help followers continue to deconstruct feelings of shame and guilt associated with purity culture.
Afrosexology
Afrosexology posts resources specifically tailored to Black followers who are dealing with their sexual health and pleasure journey. Their culturally sensitive content includes art, tips for exploring pleasure, and resources meant to help followers continue their healing and education.
Cindy, Latinx Sexpert
Latinx Sexpert is run by Cindy Luquín, a certified sex educator whose mission is to destigmatize sex education for Latinx immigrants. In this Instagram account, you can find information for LGBTQ+, immigrant, and first-generation people in all walks of life, including parents who want to have inclusive conversations about sex education with their children.
A Single Serving Podcast
A Single Serving is run by Shani Silver, who was raised Jewish. She interviews guests from all walks of life, and because being single after a certain age (whether one is sexually active or not), is often seen as taboo in purity culture as well. Silver’s guests offer tips on how to embrace singlehood and embrace yourself—a great message for anyone unlearning shame associated with purity culture’s teachings.
Your Diagnonsense
Your Diagnonsense is run by Todd Baratz. A licensed counselor, Baratz provides information on forming relationships and unlearning shame associated with sex. This Instagram account is a great resource for people looking for digestible health, dating, and relationship information from a secular source.
Starting your journey
If you’re working on challenging past beliefs that caused you harm, these accounts are a way to start your healing, find like-minded people who can relate to your struggles, and find additional resources as well.
Image Sources: alleksana
