Promoter Is In Virgin Territory Forms ‘Sexless In Seattle’ Club After Negative Experiences With Men

LauraKate Van Hollebeke’s T-shirt proclaims she’s “Sexless in Seattle” and proud of it.

The 26-year-old landscape gardener became a “born-again virgin” on Feb. 15, 1995, after a series of unfulfilling sexual relationships.

And now she has started the Born-Again Virgins of America club.

Its simple premise is: no marriage certificate, no sex.

“Oh, I loved the sex, and I was pretty promiscuous, a really bad girl,” recalled Van Hollebeke, who actually lives in Bremerton, a ferry ride across Puget Sound from Seattle.

“I really enjoyed it, yeah. It was great for about 10 minutes, anyway. But then I’d wake up the next day, and I’d have this feeling of emptiness.”

Now, she said, she’ll wait for marriage to have sex again.

She continues to date but not everyone is interested in a chaste relationship.

One of the ones that didn’t work out was a man she dated for two weeks, often playing golf.

“Finally, he couldn’t stand it and said to me, ‘… I’m not getting any younger. I need to settle down. Have you thought more about marriage?”’

But he blew it with this follow-up:

“He said that he’d need to take me for a ‘test drive’ before we went any further because ‘nobody in their right mind buys a car without first driving it and, you know, seeing if the leather feels good.”’

She sent him packing.

She’s traveling the country promoting her club and selling “Sexless in Seattle” T-shirts.

So far, about 100 people have bought the $15 shirts.

Van Hollebeke also has hired a public relations and marketing person and set up a hotline for people to share their stories of sexual distress.

“This is not just a chick thing,” she said.

“I’m serious about this. It’s all about self-esteem.”