rough draft #2 cont’d

3.
A controversy of which I have become increasingly aware in the past few months is the controversy surrounding women’s sexuality. The topic is one I wasn’t even comfortable discussing until late February of this year, yet it has become the topic of discussion among friends, on television, and throughout the world. Naturally I cannot possibly discuss such a broad topic on a world level, but the controversy itself is very personal to me.

For the entirety of my life my parents have instilled countless morals into my being. They provided a structure for my life that I never questioned. I, a person who is completely and quite hypocritically against blind trust, unquestioningly accepted these morals. Why would my parents be wrong when their answers clearly seemed so right? My mother’s attitude toward sexuality seemed distant to me. She was against pre-marital sex, didn’t seem to want to discuss sexuality, and disapproved of a new generation of young women who prided themselves on their sexual freedom, or so I thought. However, circumstances have allowed me to become close friends with a person that I never dreamed I would be close to. She is an awesome, complex person, and she is a person who is very open about sexuality. At first I was a little shocked at her and what I perceived as a lack of morals. In fact, I actually had to consciously accept her. But because of her openness, I’ve not only learned a great deal, but I’ve also learned to become comfortable with my own sexuality, and open enough to discuss things. When finally questioning my own morals this year, I realized that many women share a more conservative view, but many women do not.

Recently I have been confronted with the topic and discussion of female sexuality with other women. Naturally I was very unsure of communicating and talking about sexuality, let alone my own. I, like many women, didn’t know that it was something about which women are allowed to talk and be concerned, primarily because many people still don’t believe it is acceptable. As time passed, I became more open and more accepting of conversation to the point where I became comfortable discussing a variety of issues with a group of classmates, both male and female.

Why should women be so private about their sexuality while it seems that men often boast theirs? In many ways the question appears stereotypical, but in many ways the question is completely valid. Whereas I used to think privacy was decent and accepted, I now believe that women, like men, should have the right to talk about and explore their sexuality with others.

Perhaps the new generations will always battle older generations as women become more open. Perhaps a mutual understanding and freedom will come out of the discussion. While I cannot possibly predict the outcome, I can and will continue to grow, change or arrive at the same conclusion at which my mother arrived. The controversy is just as alive within myself as it is in the world that surrounds me.