No, Means No. Just Say No! Right?
The complexity of navigating mutual
consent in relationships.
By Ayana Chaney
May 22, 2018
Did you know the
responsibility of consent belongs to everyone involved? Yes, everyone! The
expectation that one person can be responsible for clarifying that ‘it’s not
gonna happen’ is simply unfair. Consent is about more than one person saying
yes or no. Mutual consent is about the recognition of everyone involved. The
recognition of our bodily autonomy, our voice, our silence, our body language,
and personal desire. Engaging in mutual consent is about each of us respecting
the various ways that we tell one another what we do and do not want for
ourselves.
Have you ever said yes to
dinner with someone, gone to dinner, loved dinner, and then woken up the next
day with an undefinable, uncomfortable feeling? #MeToo. Well what do you
remember about the night before? Can you
recall the various verbal and nonverbal ways in which you and the person you
were with accepted, rejected, and negotiated participation of the night? Was
there mutual consent, an agreement between you and who you were with?
If you’ve been on the
internet, seen the news, or even just in conversation with other humans, then
you may be aware of the many ways that our society has changed how we think and
talk about gender rights and responsibility in sex and dating. There are a
number of platforms raising awareness and revolutionizing how we can actively choose
to respond to one another in ways that emphasize mutual consent.
What will you do with
your active choices as you navigate the responsibility of mutual consent for
yourself and the shared responsibility with others, especially in your relationships
with your children, partner/s, colleagues, strangers, family, neighbors, and
overall human population?
Comments
Post a Comment