Kimmel and Steinem

Quinell Feder

            In the article “‘Yes’ Is Better Than ‘No’” by Michael Kimmel and Gloria Steinem, they discuss the meaning of rape legally, and the up and coming legal movements to prevent the grey area between yes and no when it comes to sexual consent. Prior to the Senate Bill 967 in California consent meant anything besides the word no. That means if no was never said it was considered consensual. With Obama working towards equal rights for women he was advocating for the women who have been oppressed by the law for hundreds of years. “Even in America, women’s human right to make decisions about their own bodies remains controversial, especially when it comes to sex and reproduction (Kimmel & Steinem, 2014).” But following Obama’s election as president, California created a bill that clarified this grey area, declaring silence as non consent. I agree with this bill. Often time in the hookup culture on college campuses it is expected that if you plan on “hooking up that night” you going to have sex. But the word “no” seems to harsh if you want to hook up but not have sex, and its not that you don’t like him you just don’t want to move too fast, but still “no” is too much and anything else would be awkward too and then before you can decide if you are going to say the dreaded word or not you are already engaged in sex.

            There are many people who disagree with “yes means yes” because how explicitly stating yes or asking the question could be awkward or “ruin the vibe”. Others believe there is an unspoken language to consent especially when you are in a long-term relationship. But these few awkward moments could save someone from a lifetime of guilt, regret and the after effects of tragedy and assault. There are people out there who still believe they are entitled to the female body, and we must be protected against these people. The article states how the word “yes” is one of the most sensual words in the English language. Who said consent couldn’t be sexy?

            Now that all seems like a lot but it is the real life on college campuses especially. The responsibility of “granting consent “ or understanding consent shouldn’t just be on the female’s shoulders. With this bill we can transfer the blame and responsibility to both parties with guidelines from the law of what consent is. With “yes means yes” it can be sure that the grey area is eliminated and protecting both people. If this bill was made better known and practiced in the hookup culture, where explicitly saying yes is the only time consent is granted, everyone could understand the clear definition of consent and this could lead to a more comfortable, safe hookup environment. Not denying that any law will eliminate rape all together but it could help reduce rape that can be prevented. It will help better educate the public about rape and hopefully get the conversations that the need to be had, going.