Following one woman influenced by Christian Purity Culture, the film documents her suppressed understanding of intimacy, providing a window into generations of people trying to repair themselves and their romantic relationships in light of their indoctrination as children and teens.

 

Bloomers follow the story of one woman, Kim, a 31-year-old woman from Oklahoma, and the start of her journey to pursue an intimate relationship. Growing up heavily influenced by the Christian purity culture, Kim suffers an internal battle of shame and guilt around her sexuality. While she is still in the process of deconstructing the church's toxic teachings around virginity, Kim is choosing to visit New York as an opportunity to redefine her identity and to move on from her past. She's ready to pursue intimacy, but how will she move forward to find love after a lifetime of sexual shame?

 

I grew up in a Catholic household, and I spent most of my life as a virgin, saving myself for marriage. At 14 years old, the entire concept of virginity was explained through a duck tape metaphor. As the tape is ripped off a surface, it loses its stickiness, and the more times tape is pulled on-and-off, it eventually becomes used and worthless. I was the piece of tape, and I needed to remain “sticky” for my future husband. I believed this for most of my teenage years and early 20s. 

I began questioning my beliefs after college. I navigated my 20s, working to break the fears surrounding sex and intimacy through my own self-education, experiences, and a lot of YouTube videos. At 26 years old, I entered my first long-term relationship, losing my virginity that same year. Even after finding a man who made me feel safe, and protected, the night I finally lost my virginity, I was overwhelmed with guilt. I sobbed. I felt like I let myself down, breaking a promise I truly believed I would keep for a lifetime. 

I’m creating Bloomers to educate those about toxic and misogynistic teachings that are at the core of Purity Culture, and prompt further conversation and reflection. It is time for me to speak openly about my sex struggles and to encourage the endless number of women out there to verbalize the harm Christian Purity culture had on them. I want to shed a light on the reality of these women’s lives and the challenges and successes they experience every day. Together, women can learn that their past does not define them and learn to accept shifts in belief systems to allow for healthy, intimate relationships.

- Stephanie Choriatis

Learn more about Stephanie and her work at Stephanie.Choriatis.com