Yes Means

My niece just got back to Houston after driving her first-born son to California for his freshman year of college. 

It may well be just a coincidence, but on the day she returned, the California legislature  sent the governor a bill requiring all colleges receiving state funds to redefine acceptable sexual behavior of their students.

In cases of sexual assault, Senate Bill 967 goes beyond the old “No means No” standard, and attempts to define when “Yes means Yes.”  In the words of the bill, “Affirmative consent means affirmative, conscious, and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity. ... Lack of protest or resistance does not mean consent, nor does silence mean consent. ...(consent) can be revoked at any time."

Twenty years ago, the idea of gaining explicit consent before engaging in sexual activities was considered so extreme it was -- literally -- laughable. Saturday Night Live in 1993 lampooned the consent policy adopted by Ohio's Antioch College with a game show titled "Is It Date Rape?"

"May I elevate the level of sexual intimacy by feeling your buttocks?" the male asks.

"Yes. You have my permission," the woman replies.

The bill's proponents say that those who think seeking consent is awkward, unrealistic or mood-killing miss the point. I’m not sure I agree, but I am sure that healthy college students can and will overcome any obstacles placed in the way of their having sex.