Bidding is now over $550,000

I have read and re-read her reasons, explanations, her resume, her “interview” with bidder’s questions, and the comments on her blog.

Yes, she is an articulate, well-educated woman and I do believe she has the right to do as she pleases, because this is America and you can make stupendously bad decisions as long as you don’t break laws.  Or hurt people.  Even if it’s yourself.

Which is why she is doing the deed in Australia – to get around American prostitution laws.

I’m not judging her…oh, hell, who am I kidding….yes I am.  I’m not judging her right to do it, but I’m completely judging her and her justifications.  I think she is making a huge mistake, a dangerous mistake, and even though she writes a compelling and intellectualized reason for pursuing this “auction” that will allow a total stranger to bed her,  she has conveniently and very foolishly sanitized  the critical component that will take part in her “experience” – the man who holds the winning bid for her virginity.

 “I value my virginity as something that is very much my own and a testament to my free-spirit and independence. Please consider this as you contemplate your bid. Lastly, I would like to add that while my virginity does have a price, my self-respect is absolutely priceless. I ask you to please keep this in mind as well.”

Whomever “wins” this auction will have no thought about her self-respect…you can be sure of that.  And the “free-spirit and independence” means absolutely jack shit to a man who has PAID HER FOR NOVELTY SEX.  Ok, forget novelty…just sex.

Because nothing says “independence” like getting paid for sex.

She actually seems to appreciate the freedoms she has as an American.  That’s why these comments are disturbing to me:

“While my father’s position at Aramco afforded me the absolute best in travel and educational opportunities, it was not lost on me that Saudi Arabia is a country with an atrocious women’s rights record. As an American, I was left untouched (for the most part), but witnessed first hand the very different fates of Saudi women. This is unquestionably a reason why I have been and will always be deeply grateful for my freedoms, my education, and all other opportunities I have been given.”

Being grateful for her freedoms does not insulate her from the proclivities of a man who is capable of spending north of half a million dollars on whatever weird and sad pleasure he gets from bedding a virgin he does not know or care about.  Oops…did I just describe a rich Saudi Arabian?

Despite her ramblings and justifications for prostituting herself because her virginity is “a source of personal freedom and power”, it hasn’t occurred to her that all that personal freedom and power will mean nothing to the winning bidder.  The minute the money is in the trust account and that bedroom door shuts, she is left alone with a man who bought her.  There will be no romance, no tender excitement, no connection, no relationship, not even a friendship.  Nothing.  This man won’t care about her blog, her writing skills, her spirit, her pleasure, or her life.  He’ll be looking for a big pay-off for his money.  He won’t be kind or gentle, or even polite.  Bank on it.

The 35% that she plans on donating to a charity “that brings education to women in developing countries” seems ironic and sad, given that most women in developing countries have to prostitute themselves to even eat.

It’s not about her virginity.  She’s selling way more than one night with a stranger.  The “winner” might feel he got his money’s worth.  And she might feel it was worth it, because it added to her sense of “personal freedom”.  I don’t know how it will enhance her skills as a doctor, but her bank account will be full and her blog will go stratospheric.

After that magical and romantic night, I predict she will experience other not-so-magical or romantic sleepless nights as she realizes that selling anything about yourself, whether it be your virginity or any other aspect of yourself that is intrinsically and uniquely yours is a big mistake.   She says she’s not particularly religious, but what about morality?   For all the talk about personal freedom and the right to sexual expression, it is wrong and hurtful to sell any part of yourself.  There’s nothing “free” about being bought.

I’m sad for her, I truly am.  I wish I could convince her there are other ways to feel powerful and free.

Like being a doctor to prostitutes in developing countries.

And if the doctor thing doesn’t work out after all this, she could always run for Governor of Texas.