On Monday, a group of teens participating in Planned Parenthood’s annual Teen Lobbying Day received an uncomfortable surprise when a Republican politician questioned them about their sexuality. Rep. Mary Dye, a lawmaker in Washington State, met with a group of about half a dozen students who were advocating for more insurance coverage for birth control, the Seattle Timesreports.
According to the students and Rachael Todd, one of the Planned Parenthood workers, Dye asked if they were virgins and even suggested that one wasn’t. "After she made the statement about virginity, all of my teens looked at me," Todd said. "And I said, 'You don’t have to answer that. You don’t have to answer that.'"
Dye later apologized for her remarks in an issued statement. "While I appreciated their time and professionalism, I shared with them that I did not support the issues they were advocating for. Following a conversation they initiated on birth control for teenagers, I talked about the empowerment of women and making good choices-opinions shaped by my mother and being a mother of three daughters.
In hindsight, a few of the thoughts I shared, while well-intended, may have come across as more motherly than what they would expect from their state representative. If anything I said offended them or made them feel uncomfortable, I apologize."
One of the students, 18-year-old Alex Rubino, says her advice came unwarranted. "It seemed kind of insane for her to say that, especially on the record, to constituents." Awkward.
