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Erica Smith, Sexuality Education and Consulting

Yin Yoga FALL EQUINOX edition, Death of A Pastor's Wife, and more

Published about 2 months ago • 3 min read

I know you're probably all ready for the Labor Day long weekend so I won't take up too much of your time! Just a few things to share.

Yin Yoga for Purity Culture Healing is back...🍁

and this time we're welcoming the changing of the seasons with a fall equinox practice! 🍁 Welcome the new season, let go of things you need to let go.

After all of the chatter about it, I finally watched Death of the Pastor's Wife on Netflix. Many people who grew up Evangelical have said a lot of wise things about JP Miller's theology, like Tia Levings and April Ajoy. Tim Whittaker also wrote a Substack post about the theology that Miller used to justify abusing his wife physically, sexually, emotionally, and spiritually.

I have a lot of thoughts about the horrors that Mica Miller was put through, but it's really brought me to one thing: sexual health cannot exist under the coercive control of theology like this. Sexual health cannot exist under purity culture.

Today is World Sexual Health Day and I want you to know that sexual health cannot exist under purity culture.

I go into great detail in The Purity Culture Recovery Guide about this. Here's an excerpt:

There are facets to being sexually healthy that purity culture intentionally works against and represses.
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Sexual health is the ability to embrace and enjoy our sexuality throughout our lives. It is an important part of our physical and emotional health. Being sexually healthy means:
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*Understanding that sexuality is a natural part of life and involves more than sexual behavior.
*Recognizing and respecting the sexual rights we all share.
*Having access to sexual health information, education, and care.
*Making an effort to prevent unintended pregnancies and STIs and seek care and treatment when needed.
*Being able to experience sexual pleasure, satisfaction, and intimacy when desired.
*Being able to communicate about sexual health with others including sexual partners and healthcare providers.
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Our attitudes toward sexuality are also part of our sexual health. I’m sure you can understand how a deeply negative attitude toward sexuality does not promote optimal sexual health. If each aspect of the WHO’s definition points toward sexual health, a negative attitude toward sexuality—including the belief that it’s always dangerous or harmful—would be missing a few crucial points.
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Sexual health also involves having a solid knowledge base of quality sex education. When someone is intentionally kept in the dark about sexual matters, that ignorance works against their sexual health.
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Sexual health also means that we are able to freely consent to sex. When I think about ways that purity culture undermines sexual health, I think about the expectation that a woman must submit to her husband anytime he wants sex. If any sexual relationship or situation doesn’t involve the consent of all parties, it cannot be sexually healthy.

And that is what I was thinking about as I finished up watching Death of the Pastor's Wife on World Sexual Health Day. May Mica Miller rest in peace and may we all be free of coercion.

Ok y'all- Happy Labor Day Weekend. Worker's Rights Forever. ​

xo

E

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

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Erica Smith, Sexuality Education and Consulting

The Purity Culture Dropout™ Program

I developed the Purity Culture Dropout™️ Program to help people learn all of the sex education that they missed growing up in purity culture- sex ed that is accurate, queer inclusive, trauma informed, compassionate, and comprehensive. I have worked with hundreds of people to help them learn about healthy sexuality after high control religion. Subscribe if you're curious about / invested in shame free sexuality education that's specifically tailored to the needs of people coming out of high control religions and purity culture. Expect information not just about healthy sexuality and upcoming programming, but also cultural commentary on sexual politics in the US. I'm a sex educator with 25 years of experience and I'm excited to share that with you.

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