Bristol Palin: ‘I’m Not Accusing Levi Of Date Rape By Any Means’

You may be aware that there has been one persistent question surrounding a passage of Bristol Palin‘s new memoir wherein she describes her first ever sexual encounter, with then-boyfriend Levi Johnston, as being fueled by too many wine coolers. Was this young woman, people wanted to know, raped? Was she coerced into having sex? Could she have said no if she wanted to?

Palin is addressing those concerns, telling USA Today that the drunken encounter was “a dumb decision,” and sharing that she had agreed to it with the hope that she and Johnston would one day marry:

I’m not accusing Levi of date rape by any means. I’m just honestly looking back on it with the eyes of an adult. That was five years ago, and I’m realizing that it was a dumb decision.

She also offers a revealing glimpse into the new career that ultimately stemmed from her decision to have premarital sex with Johnston – that of the poster girl for abstinence:

I hate the word abstinence. My mom knows I hate that word, everyone knows I hate that word. People think that I’m just “abstinence only, do not have sex.” No. If you’re going to have sex, practice safe sex. But the best option to prevent teen pregnancy is to not have sex.

Of course, simply because Palin now describes that first encounter as a “decision” and not rape does not necessarily mean Alaska statutes concerning sexual offenses agree that she was capable and legally able of giving her consent.

Take a look at video from Palin’s USA Today interview:

Thank you to reader Cory for the tip.