Rarely does one find a society in which sex and sexuality is so broadly regulated by legislation. Ours happens to be one. Its roots are found in the religious basis of our country. For centuries, the Christian religion has suppressed sexuality and sought to regulate it. Some argue that this was done to maintain a system of male dominance throughout much of the world's history. Differing attitudes regarding socially acceptable sexual behavior further this system of inequality.
             In many instances, a double standard exists for acceptable sexual behavior. For example, if a woman has sex with a large number of men, she is looked down upon, called a slut, etc. If a male does the same thing, his social reputation and character is not called into question, but rather heightened by it. Similarly, the concept of sexual harassment applies nearly exclusively to males. Because males are thought of as the sexual aggressors in our society, legal cases of female sexual harassment are rarely seen and even more rarely won. This concept of male aggressiveness and female submissiveness furthers the societal implication of disparate equality between the sexes.
             In yet another example of gender bias in American sexual attitudes, female virginity before marriage is still a large part of many religious rituals. Popular religions dictate that a female maintain her virginity prior to marriage, or her value as a prospective partner is somehow decreased. No such tradition or regulation applies to males; in fact, quite the opposite situation exists. Males are often encouraged to "sow their oats" before marriage so as to reduce the tendency for marital infidelity. Along the same lines, religion instituted the wearing of "chastity" belts by females to reduce the chances of premarital sex. These examples add to a larger pile of evidence that organized religion in America has perpetrated a societal bias toward women, and has done little t
             ...