Freudian Ickiness

Still around, still pregnant, blah blah blah. Nearing the end of my seventh month and I feel like I am going to be pregnant for the rest of my life.

Then the baby moves, which kind of feels like I've swallowed an eel but in a wholesome way, and I feel okay about it.

Have I mentioned it's a girl? It's a girl! I feel good about the opportunity to unleash a confident hellcat woman on the world.

Then I read stuff like this and fear for her future.

You then explain to the child that you will hold the key to her precious heart until the day of her wedding. On that day, you will give her away like at all weddings, BUT in doing so you will also “give away” the key to her heart to her now husband. The key and lock are actually functional and your son-in-law will place the key in the heart to open it.

The "key" to her "heart?" Not only is this a teensy smidgeon away from being a chastity belt, it's chock-full of creepy Freudian symbolism.

Seriously, the girl has a lock, which can only be opened with a special key? Ew.

Not to mention the whole ownership of the girl's sexuality. It's as if the father is saying to the future son-in-law, "Here's your prize for being a man in our society...a virgin girl!" Notice the girl doesn't get to keep the key. It's her father's, then her husband's. As one of the commenters at the Pandagon post made me realize, if they really wanted to encourage girls to have the self-confidence to wait to have sex until they're ready, they would give the girls the stupid key to keep.

This is the religious fundamentalism I see creeping in to take over our society. What will it be like for my daughter when she's my age?

I hope this is somewhat cogent. I've been highly sleepy lately.

**ADDED, upon remembering. See also pertinent discussions at Pharyngula and Feministe.