Life is full of double standards, but what makes people tolerate one outcome and villify another? Case in point, Debra Lafave’s “exploitation” of a 14 year old student. This past summer she had sex with a student and is now facing criminal charges since, well, it’s illegal to have sex with minors.

The double standard? She’s a she and she’s an arguably attractive “she” at that. The arguement could be made, “Well, what 14 year old wouldn’t want to have sex with a hot, 24 year old teacher?” This is the very arguement I heard thrown out on a radio show this morning. The radio show’s point was most people could look at a young, attractive woman and her crime and be a little leinient because…well…what 14 year old wouldn’t want to make it with a hot, 24 year old teacher?

The problem I have is this; suppose the teacher was a very attractive 24 year old man, and the student was a 14 year old girl. Is it the same thing or worse? I would submit it’s worse. When innapropriate sex occurs between a man and an underage girl it’s pretty universally vilified, but if it happens the other way around…well…it’s not so bad.

Why is sex, and the thought of sex so perverted and full of double standards like this? Either it’s just as bad both ways or it’s not as bad both ways. I know why we protect our children, but when we promote - and let society promote - these double standards it doesn’t do any of us any good.