LAS VEGAS June 29 ?
In a city known more for sin than virtue, a group of virgins from around the country gathered this weekend to send a message: wait until marriage.
It was a clash of the "Good Girls" and the sin-seekers as about 200 teens, parents and youth counselors descended on the Strip to pass out cards promoting abstinence.
"What better place to bring this than Sin City?" said participant Deanna Grimm, 24, of Sioux Falls, S.D. "They need to hear it."
About 750 people traveled to Las Vegas to attend the seventh annual National Abstinence Clearinghouse Conference, which runs through Sunday. Featuring seminars on the history of abstinence and the consequences of premarital sex, the convention's theme is "Beyond the Neon: Creating a Culture of Character."
Convention exhibitors displayed various abstinence items, including "Keep It" underwear depicting a large red stop sign with the message "No Trespassing."
"(Abstinence is) a very important message to spread to teens all over," said Grimm, who works for the Abstinence Clearinghouse. "A lot of kids don't know about the dangers of premarital sex."
The reception was mixed Friday night as the virgin brigade passed out about 5,000 "Good Girl Cards" to mostly female passerbys, many clad in short skirts and low-cut tops. The event was designed to counter dozens of people who routinely hand out color ads for scantily clad entertainers and escorts on the Strip.
"I like being handed these (Good Girl Cards) more than the porn ones they usually hand out," said Corrie Bouma, a 23-year-old teacher's aide from Hawthorne, N.J., who was in town on vacation.
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