By Lori Adelman • @ladelman • 13 years ago

Jess Rocks it Out, Talks Purity Balls with Anderson Cooper

Jos mentioned it briefly in Friday’s What We Missed, but did you see our girl Jessica Valenti rock it out on Anderson Cooper last week?

Cooper devoted an episode of his daytime show to purity balls, virginity pledges and the like. Jessica was representing on the show, pushing back against the dangerous rhetoric of other guests like Randy Wilson, the pastor who founded purity balls, and a family that takes their daughter to the balls (including two teenage girls). I think Jess did a great job of communicating clearly and rationally why purity balls hurt women without attacking or shaming the young women who were on stage with her.

Also check out the cameo appearance from Sarah, the 13-year-old girl whose badass video on the wrongs of slut-shaming recently went super viral, and deservedly so!

Check out some more clips over at Jess’ website.

Brooklyn, NY

Lori Adelman started blogging with Feministing in 2008, and now runs partnerships and strategy as a co-Executive Director. She is also the Director of Youth Engagement at Women Deliver, where she promotes meaningful youth engagement in international development efforts, including through running the award-winning Women Deliver Young Leaders Program. Lori was formerly the Director of Global Communications at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and has also worked at the United Nations Foundation on the Secretary-General's flagship Every Woman Every Child initiative, and at the International Women’s Health Coalition and Human Rights Watch. As a leading voice on women’s rights issues, Lori frequently consults, speaks and publishes on feminism, activism and movement-building. A graduate of Harvard University, Lori has been named to The Root 100 list of the most influential African Americans in the United States, and to Forbes Magazine‘s list of the “30 Under 30” successful mediamakers. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Lori Adelman is an Executive Director of Feministing in charge of Partnerships.

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