Beyond Abstinence-Only: Purity Culture in Today's Political Moment

While “purity culture” is most associated with the evangelical abstinence teachings and rituals of the 1990s-2000s, featuring purity rings, purity balls, and abstinence pledges, scholars of the movement have recognized how purity culture(s) transcend(s) white evangelicalism, infiltrating broader U.S. culture and policymaking. This Feminist Studies in Religion roundtable convenes interdisciplinary feminist scholars to discuss how purity ideology operates as a dangerous and often invisible force driving the current wave of transgender healthcare bans, DEI rollbacks, ICE deportations, proposed pronatalist policies, U.S. foreign relations, and other current events. This diverse group of panelists will be invited to engage the following questions: where do purity culture logics show up in specific policies or ideologies of the Trump Administration 2.0? How can understanding these policies/ideologies as rooted in purity logics help us better challenge and dismantle them?