The United States is obsessed with virginity; from the media, to schools, to government agencies. “The Purity Myth” is an important and timely critique about why this is so, and why it’s problematic for girls and women. Analyzing cultural stereotypes and media messages, Jessica Valenti reveals the overt and hidden ways our society links a woman’s worth to her sexuality rather than to values like honesty, kindness, and altruism. Valenti takes on issues ranging from abstinence-only education to pornography and exposes the legal and social punishments that women who dare to have sex endure. Importantly, she also offers solutions that pave the way for a future without a damaging emphasis on virginity, including a call to rethink male sexuality and reframe the idea of “losing it.” With Valenti’s balance of intelligence and wit, “The Purity Myth” presents a powerful and revolutionary argument that valuing girls and women for their sexuality needs to stop, and outlines a new vision for how it can happen. Come watch the documentary on March 8th.