About ‘Hypocrite’

A new spoken word piece about sex is bound to get me in trouble — but “Hypocrite” is more about walking the walk than about being abstinent.

Originally published at hearalma.com on April 21, 2015.

People have a lot to say about sex. Who’s having it, who’s not having it, who’s having it with guys, who’s having it with girls, who’s having too much, who’s not having enough. The people in this discussion are beautifully diverse, spanning all ages, genders, sexualities, races & faiths, & the opinions are as diverse as the people voicing them.

In a few days, I’m going to be adding my own voice to the cacophony, & I’m terrified. My fear, I think, speaks to how difficult it is to navigate the fine line between tolerance & grace, especially when it concerns a subject that so intimately (in the truest sense) affects every human. This is all besides the fact that I’ve never had sex & run the risk of sounding unqualified, or worse, conceited.

But at its core, my new spoken word piece “Hypocrite” isn’t about your sexual choices. It’s not telling you to “save yourself for marriage” or “keep it in your pants” or whatever other trivial phrases we throw around in…