* Are you a virgin? If so, then why are you still one? If not, then what made you decide to lose it/give it away?
No, I'm not a virgin.
* What are your views on the idea of "casual sex" or, in general, the value of virginity? Is it something worth keeping?
Personally, I don't find anything "wrong" with casual sex; as long as it's between two consenting adults, who cares? I don't value virginity nor do I feel that it has any "worth", per say; however, I know that other people do put a high value on it and I r
* If it is, why do you think it's worth keeping? If not, justify why it's lost its value.
It never had value, to me. I guess in some way I do put some value in "firsts", but that's not limited to just virginity.
* Do you think there's a certain dogma about being a virgin? Is it generally accepted, approved upon, or criticized?
In my experience, it depends on where you are in your life and who you surround yourself with (because, we all pick our friends, whether we want to admit it or not). It's not like everyone around me knows I am and/or am not a virgin unless they are people I confide in or they are people I want to discuss stuff with, they don't need to know. Nor do I conclusively know whether or not they are.
I think once you get past High School (where, honestly, every subject is picked apart beyond ordinary means), you're fine. I mean, I had a friend who went home crying after her first date with this 16 year old (she was 13) because he called her a prude for not kissing/making-out in front of his friends. Yeah, it stings; but it doesn't sting any worse than anything else that happens in High School.
College is more a test of your will-power, because you have a group of super young adults who are completely away from their parents and are discovering the joys (and pitfalls) of complete independence. Take it or leave it.
* If you are not a virgin, what would you say to a virgin friend who is considering giving it up? Would you encourage him to lose it or keep it, and why?
Neither? I would talk it through with him/her, trying to delve into WHY they want to do it, whether it's important to them, and WHY they want to do it now and/or with this person. And from there, just kinda look at the pros and cons of the decision; and, just to make a minor point, this doesn't just tie into virginity. In every relationship you get to the point where you wonder when to take it to the next level and how that will effect your relationship... And, to put it plainly, there can be a "wrong" person, "wrong" time, or "wrong" reason to take it to that next level.
* What emotional and relational requirements do you think there are for being ready to have sex for the first time?
Sex can be a powerful thing if you're not ready for it; especially when it doesn't mean as much to one of the parties involved as it does to the other (or, even more problematic, if it doesn't mean the same thing). So, to avoid being hurt from just adding sex to the relationship, you need to know yourself first; make sure that what you're trying to get out of it is feasible. Secondly, know your relationship. If you're completely emotionally involved and your "partner" isn't; you're going to be taking it to a level that neither of you are prepared for. If you're wanting some sort of validation of the relationship or if you're trying to save an already failing relationship, it's probably not going to work. I don't know... I guess the tl;dr part of it is to know what you're trying to get out of it and to make sure the relationship you have already established with that person supports it.
Anyways, yeah. To respond to Surgo's suggestion: I'm 25.
No, I'm not a virgin.
* What are your views on the idea of "casual sex" or, in general, the value of virginity? Is it something worth keeping?
Personally, I don't find anything "wrong" with casual sex; as long as it's between two consenting adults, who cares? I don't value virginity nor do I feel that it has any "worth", per say; however, I know that other people do put a high value on it and I r
* If it is, why do you think it's worth keeping? If not, justify why it's lost its value.
It never had value, to me. I guess in some way I do put some value in "firsts", but that's not limited to just virginity.
* Do you think there's a certain dogma about being a virgin? Is it generally accepted, approved upon, or criticized?
In my experience, it depends on where you are in your life and who you surround yourself with (because, we all pick our friends, whether we want to admit it or not). It's not like everyone around me knows I am and/or am not a virgin unless they are people I confide in or they are people I want to discuss stuff with, they don't need to know. Nor do I conclusively know whether or not they are.
I think once you get past High School (where, honestly, every subject is picked apart beyond ordinary means), you're fine. I mean, I had a friend who went home crying after her first date with this 16 year old (she was 13) because he called her a prude for not kissing/making-out in front of his friends. Yeah, it stings; but it doesn't sting any worse than anything else that happens in High School.
College is more a test of your will-power, because you have a group of super young adults who are completely away from their parents and are discovering the joys (and pitfalls) of complete independence. Take it or leave it.
* If you are not a virgin, what would you say to a virgin friend who is considering giving it up? Would you encourage him to lose it or keep it, and why?
Neither? I would talk it through with him/her, trying to delve into WHY they want to do it, whether it's important to them, and WHY they want to do it now and/or with this person. And from there, just kinda look at the pros and cons of the decision; and, just to make a minor point, this doesn't just tie into virginity. In every relationship you get to the point where you wonder when to take it to the next level and how that will effect your relationship... And, to put it plainly, there can be a "wrong" person, "wrong" time, or "wrong" reason to take it to that next level.
* What emotional and relational requirements do you think there are for being ready to have sex for the first time?
Sex can be a powerful thing if you're not ready for it; especially when it doesn't mean as much to one of the parties involved as it does to the other (or, even more problematic, if it doesn't mean the same thing). So, to avoid being hurt from just adding sex to the relationship, you need to know yourself first; make sure that what you're trying to get out of it is feasible. Secondly, know your relationship. If you're completely emotionally involved and your "partner" isn't; you're going to be taking it to a level that neither of you are prepared for. If you're wanting some sort of validation of the relationship or if you're trying to save an already failing relationship, it's probably not going to work. I don't know... I guess the tl;dr part of it is to know what you're trying to get out of it and to make sure the relationship you have already established with that person supports it.
Anyways, yeah. To respond to Surgo's suggestion: I'm 25.