Virgin Shaming And How Yvonne Orji And A 50 Year Old Virgin Inspired A Movement

Photo: Andrew Michael Casey. Styled by Rebecca Ramsey.

Actress and comedian Yvonne Orji known best for her breakout role as Molly on HBO’s iNSECURE disclosed her virginity, and how she combats virgin shaming. During an almost hour long interview on the breakfast club Yvonne stated she’s a virgin and proud of it, as she should be. Joking she mentioned she even had a t-shirt line called Rock Your Stance, but as she made her way around the press, the news got bigger and bigger, and more and more people started virgin shaming.

“unashamedly declare your stance and your choice to wait”

At 33 years old, beautiful, educated, and successful Yvonne encourages Women and Men to; “unashamedly declare their stance and their choice to wait”. The Rock Your Stance apparel can be purchased at their official website with sayings like; “Keeping It Locked Till I Get That Rock”. Even though this was major news as promiscuity is often pushed as normal, Yvonne isn’t the only virgin speaking out.

What Is Virgin Shaming?

Virgin Shaming happens when a person (usually non-virgin, but virgins too) degrades, and discourage virgins through physical, and mental assumptions, and arrogant personal belief. Ex; “She’s stupid, why would she wait that long to have sex, it’s probably because she ugly and don’t nobody want her ?” [TheBLACKMedia definition]

Recently a 50 year old Woman shared her virginal status on the Wendy Williams show that sparked many Women and some Men to also proudly share they too are virgins. When she announced her status you could instantly see judgmental faces, social media even took over and shamed her. Many called her stupid, unattractive, asexual, a lesbian, and a slew of shaming things. Knowing many virgins myself, I find there is shame in the face of conversation about it, but as Yvonne and 50 year old Yvette said; there’s nothing wrong with waiting, if you can talk about how many sex partners you’ve had proudly, why can’t you speak on not having any?

Often times being a virgin is related to there being something “wrong” with you. As if your choice to wait makes you crazy, this sickening ideology only occurs when the sin of sex before marriage is used as a tool to sell records, tv shows, and films. The idea of waiting is so foreign that these two women making a public statement about it and showing the difference in age inspired viewers to come out too!