CA rape bill to shake status quo

Sexual assault is a horrifying and heinous act that happens far too often. On college campuses it’s epidemic, with one in five predominantly female students becoming victims, according to the Justice Department. Last month the California State Senate said “enough” by unanimously approving a bill to require California’s colleges and universities to establish an “affirmative consent” standard in preventing and adjudicating sexual assault cases.

Simply put, Senate Bill 967, states that only “yes means yes” during sex, and that affirmative consent during sexual activity is an “affirmative, conscious and voluntary agreement” between the partners involved. This bill also makes it clear that neither of the parties can give consent while intoxicated, an extremely important clarification that needed to be added given the climate on nearly all college campuses.

The bill also discredits the dangerous societal idea that being silent and not saying “no” in a sexual encounter automatically means, “yes.” This idea has strong ties to male entitlement and believing that women owe them sex. Unfortunately many women have bought into this horrible misconception as well and do not speak up even if they want to say no. Hopefully the enforcement of SB 967, which currently awaits Gov. Brown’s signature, and the conversations it will create will help to change this dangerous norm.

Some opponents of the bill said that the new law is confusing and would turn just about everyone into rapists. To them we say, suck it up. We need to start creating open dialogues about sex and consent.

While sex can mean many different things to different people, the one thing that should be constant is having open communication and consent throughout the whole interaction, something that will likely make sex even more intimate and fun because “taking the fun out of sex” is apparently a concern some opponents of the bill. The goals of the bill are so important. While also focusing on prevention and better treatment of victims, this bill will hopefully encourage more victims to speak out so we can try to end this horrible epidemic of assault and victim blaming.

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