At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the peak of many students’ boredom, the UTK Virginity Club was born. A year and a half later, the club’s Instagram account has grown to over 7,000 followers, as it continues to spread the group’s message that adult virginity is something to be proud of, and not something to be ashamed of.
The account, run by a group of anonymous students, uses this anonymity to create a sense of fun and mystery surrounding the page. The fact that the club could be run by any classmate or peer adds to the enjoyment of its many followers.
A student representative of the club agreed to talk through the group’s social media account without revealing their identity.
“We originally started this account as a way to represent the adult virgins on campus because we are a big group, yet there is a stigma around talking about it,” the representative said.
Several universities across the U.S. have created accounts such as these, with the popular Brigham Young University (BYU) Virginity Club appearing to be the first of its kind. The page shot to popularity after a viral TikTok was posted, showcasing the account’s posts.
It has been made clear on both BYU and UTK’s accounts that the clubs have no affiliation with their respective schools.
The UTK Virginity Club made their first post in December of 2020 with a slideshow about the stigmatization of virginity and solutions to the problem.
“Bring a partner home from the bar? Instead of Fornicating maintain your purity by making your Sims Woo-Hoo! together instead,” the post said.
The account is most known for its humorous posts, with their clever wording. Many posts contain advice on how to deal with issues that might arise as an adult virgin on campus. One in particular gives advice on places to avoid on campus in order to preserve celibacy.
“Uptown Bar and Grill: Greasy floors, flashing lights and Dixieland Delight makes a recipe for bad decisions. Instead of going there, visit the bluffs with your platonic friends,” the post said.
The club has been successful at selling merchandise and doing various giveaways through its page. Despite its sense of humor, The Virginity Club confirmed that it is a serious account.
“The Virginity Club is 100% not satire. While we value and appreciate humor as a way to break the ice, the virginity movement is an authentic movement and we aim to destigmatize adult virginity in a college environment,” the representative said.
The account is run by UT students, who are on a mission to spread their message despite their busy schedules.
“Behind the scenes definitely involves some time commitment, and as students, it can definitely get hectic. However, we believe our message is important and the time spent is well worth it,” the representative said.
To keep followers engaged, the account ran a competition which encouraged students to tag their virgin friends. One tagged person would be named virgin of the month and would win a $10 Bass Pro Shop gift card, as well as a free UTK Virginity Club t-shirt. Davis Taylor, a psychology major at UT happened to be the lucky winner.
“Keeping my purity wasn’t about winning a contest for virgin of the month. It’s just one of the accolades that came with it, the mission still continues,” Taylor said.
Taylor first heard about the account after he was tagged in the competition by a friend, who felt that he might be a good fit to be the winner of the competition. He has since been grateful to the account and the message that it spreads.
“The account itself is an uplifting tribute to all closet virgins on campus. We stand with you. I thank the UTK Virginity Club for all they’ve done for us,” Taylor said.
The account aims to use humor to create a space without judgment or ridicule, and in doing this, they have gained a large group of supportive followers.
“Having a platform for virgins and allies to express themselves was one of our goals. We have grown to amazing numbers and have a loyal group of supporters and members,” the representative said.
