Teen Vogue magazine found itself in a a bit of a spot after publishing a “how-to” article on “
A Guide to Anal Sex.”
Parents of teen subscribers called for a boycott of the magazine after a July 7 article ran and was chock-full of things that the magazine’s editors claimed readers “needed” to know about anal sex.
The article’s author, Gigi Engle, wrote, “Obviously there is a lot of stuff on the Internet about anal (we don’t suggest you Google it), but most of what you’ll find is either porn or advice for experienced sexual persons looking to try something new. What about the teenagers? What about the LGBTQ young people who need to know about this for their sexual health?”
Many parents took issue with “What about the teenagers?” and began a hashtag, #PULLTEENVOGUE, and Elizabeth Johnston — known in some circles, and on Facebook — as
The Activist Mommy — implored libraries and local stores to pull the offending Teen Vogue issue from its racks and stands.
Speaking to The Todd Starnes Show, Johnston said, “I was truly flabbergasted. They should not be teaching sodomy to our children.”
“This is not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue,” she later added. “This is not a conservative issue or liberal issue. This is a parent issue.”
Johnston last week shared a video on Facebook in protest of the issue, and featured herself burning the magazine. At the time of this writing, the video has amassed nearly 10 million views.
When the article was initially posted, it did not include any disclaimer that encouraged readers to use protection. However, in an update, the writer added, “This article has been updated to include the importance of using protection during anal sex.”
In response to the backlash Teen Vogue received over the controversial article, the magazine’s digital editorial director — Phillip Picardi — expressed his disgust on Twitter.
Sharing a photo of himself kissing another man while holding up his middle finger, Picardi claimed that the magazine had been “inundated with hate mail saying we promote sodomy and want teens to get AIDS.”
“It’s funny,” he continued, “because I went to Catholic high school and had 0 sex education. I also had a teacher tell me gay sex was a sin in God’s eyes.”
Picardi added, “The backlash to this article is rooted in homophobia. It’s also laced in arcane delusion about what it means to be a young person today.”
