One of the purposes of the choice of “Be Heard” as the theme of the Binghamton Women’s March was to listen to perspectives that have often been silenced. One of the most powerful speeches was about sexual assault.
With the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements in the news, I have also been having some discussions about consent and assault/harassment with my daughters, who are in their late twenties and early thirties.
The Women’s March speaker who was a survivor of sexual assault said something that really articulated the issue of consent for me, something along the lines of she is not sure if she said no, but she was very sure she did not say yes. She did not give consent.
Her words crystallized something for me so that I understood better what my daughters and other younger women have been saying. As a woman in her later fifties, I wasn’t really brought up with discussion about consent. We were trained to be vigilant about making sure no one drugged our drinks at a party and about staying away from dark or isolated places, but not about what to do if a date or acquaintance pressured or overpowered or coerced us into unwanted sexual behavior.
I understood over time that it was never about what women wore or if they had been drinking or if they knew their attacker. Women who are assaulted are not at fault for their assault. No means no.
What I hadn’t understood until now was the extent to which no means no is not enough. Women may freeze or shut down in fear when faced with sexual aggression and may not be able to say no. They may not be able to leave the situation without the threat of violence against them. Asking “why didn’t she just leave?” is akin to asking “why was she wearing that?”
The questions are placing blame on the victim rather than on the perpetrator.
All forms of abuse and harassment are abuses of power. Sexual abuse and harassment are no different.
Consent needs to mutual, ongoing, and enthusiastic from all participants. Anything less makes what should be a caring and loving encounter into an abuse of power.
*****
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yes, i so agree with this –
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I appreciate everyone who is speaking out so that we can all move forward together in creating greater equity in our societies.
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Brilliant post. Pinpoints the problem down perfectly!
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Thanks, B. I appreciate the opportunity to continue to learn and evolve on this issue and others.
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That is probably the best approach 🙂
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totally agree!
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I would also add that women should have the liberty to initiate a sexual encounter without shame and without being treated like a ‘slut’. Women can and do enjoy sex and should be able to do that without any stigma attached to it.
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Yes, as long as all participants are acting freely and with consent and care, it is all good! All the stereotyping and name-calling needs to end.
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agreed
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I love that you’re willing to talk about learning and changing your viewpoints. All of us working in the field struggle to find the best ways to define, teach about, and help people enact consent, but part of that is being willing to reassess constantly.
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Thank you for working in such a vital field. I do try to uphold the liberal arts ideal of lifelong learning and find that my daughters and other people in younger generations have important perspectives to share.
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