Grad Student Selling Her Virginity

Warning: I am really on a rant in this post...

This article actually makes me mad. I will let you read it first and then give some thoughts. I have copied it here for you in its entirety or you can click on this link to read it from cbs13:

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A Sacramento State grad is trying to make money the old fashioned way, by auctioning off her virginity to help pay for her graduate studies. And so far, bidding is up to $250,000.

The 22-year-old who is using the pseudonym Natalie Dylan for safety reasons is going through a legal brothel in Nevada to sell her virginity. "The main purpose of this is to finance a couple things in my life," Dylan told CBS13. "I think empowerment of women is picking yourself up and doing something on your own to better yourself."

Dylan says she's already taken a polygraph test to prove her virginal status, and is also willing to undergo a medical exam.

The auction will take place at the Bunny Ranch in Carson City, Nevada with bids coming in through their website. Owner Dennis Hof tells CBS13 that eBay rejected the auction, so he'll handle the entire process.

Hof says Dylan is a bright, beautiful young woman who's going to consider a number of factors in her decision because she wants her first time to be a positive experience. "Natalie is a very smart girl. All she wants to do is get her master's degree in family and marriage counseling and be a psychologist. She's selling her virginity to accomplish that," Hof told CBS13. "She's smart enough to sell it. This is empowering her."

So far, hundreds of offers have already come in including some from male virgins. Natalie says she won't give up her virginity to the highest bidder. She's also seeking other qualities from her first lover. "I'm looking for intelligence and an overall nice person," said Dylan.

Hof also says Natalie Dylan ended up in a financial bind, because her stepfather allegedly used her college status to fraudulently apply for student loans, and then ran off with the money.

Dylan earned her bachelor's degree in women's studies from Sacramento State and plans to get her master's at the school beginning in January.

Many Sac State students say they're shocked to hear about their former classmate's plan, while others applaud her.

"She's just giving it to some random person. And I just think she should be giving it to someone special she loves," said one student on campus.

While another felt that selling her virginity for grad school "is a noble reason to get money."

As for Natalie, after claiming to hold on to her virginity for 22 years (although the Bunny Ranch website claims she is 21-years-old), she says she has a commodity not many people have to sell.

"When I was younger, I wanted 100% romance, possibly even wait for marriage. But as I grew up, reality kinda hit. And I think its a capitalistic society and I want to capitalize on this," explained Dylan.
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There are so many things I take issue with in this article. Perhaps it is becuase I work with women who have been trapped into doing this and now ONE woman comes along and claims that this is something she is choosing to do and it is an EMPOWERMENT of women "picking yourself up and doing something on your own to better yourself" - wow. My heart just breaks for this young woman. That she would have such a lack of options with her finances she has convinced herself this is a good idea - and even noble. She is now completely changing the center of her identity - it is wrapped up in her body, what she can sexually do for another individual, how she can fulfill another persons physical and sexual desires, and how much money she can gain from fulfilling those desires. Her identity is found in her appearance and how attractive she can keep herself.

And how about the reporters great phrasing of how this is making money "the old fashioned way" - yes, indeed, I long for the days of when our grandmothers had it so much easier than we did. They could just take sexy pictures of themselves with a digital camera that didn't exist and put them up all over the internet that no one used so people could bid online. What? Yes, that is much better than my desk job, I see exactly what you mean Ms. Gianulias.

"She's also seeking other qualities from her first lover" - can you really call this person, whoever it ends up being, a LOVER? I have seen one too many women fall into this slippery slope, and I fear for her if she has this mentality.

It just angers me that this young woman has a degree in woman studies and wants to work in marriage and family therapy (of which many of my friends are working in) and she has such disrespect and neglect for a woman's physical, emotional and spiritual wholeness. Does she actually think this is just about getting her through grad school and will have no effect or repercussions on her?

I applaud ebay for refusing to allow Ms. Dylan to hold this auction on their website. THANK YOU ebay.