NYT Discovers True Love Revolution, Lena Chen

The New York Times ran a story on college chastity clubs, with a focus on Janie Fredell of Harvard's True Love Revolution. As a counterpoint, the author interviewed Lena Chen, the Harvard student who wrote about her romantic escapades on Sex and the Ivy. In between when they interviewed her (November) and today's publication date, some jerk she used to date released nude photos of her, and she started cutting back on her blog.

On Sex and the Ivy, Chen writes about the effect of the media attention on her:

Sure, people call me a “whore” or “slut” or whatever the misogynistic term of the day is, but I can deal with that unfortunate consequence of patriarchal society. What I can’t deal with? Attacks on my family, judgments on my friends, people’s personal missions to out the guys with whom I’m involved, and crazy exes who disseminate my naked photos online. Criticism I can cope with, but attempts to systematically ruin my life or expose those I care about? Not so much.

It seems like the NYT could have done two stories--one on the rise of virginity groups on campus and the other on why the media continues to treat women's sexual preferences (because choosing virginity is a sexual preference) as somehow freakish. The article's overall message is, "WOMEN HAVE OPINIONS ABOUT SEX AND CHOOSE TO MAKE THEM PUBLIC! THE EARTH SHUDDERS!"

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