The virgin daughters at purity balls are caught in a similar system of oppression and coercion. Despite all their economic and social status, they are victims of the patriarchal institutions of family and religion. The only benefits they glean from their enculturation in this system are institutional approval and protection from the consequences, as long as they don’t break the rules of this system. They are passive participants with little voice or agency. Their bodies are used to perpetuate certain identities and sexualities—white, heterosexual, and Christian—which are privileged but
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