Will #TimesUp, the new sexual harassment awareness effort by prominent women of stature, ignite the fire that eradicates sexual assault? If they do the following, they will!!

Standardize CONSENT PROVISIONS in penal codes

across the US and beyond!

#MeToo exposed the problem of sexual assault and harassment. Now we need to go the next step and secure the solution!

Why is correctly defining and standardizing “consent” so important?

We can only hold people accountable for violating a victim’s consent if our laws on #consent are crystal clear; not the murky mess that currently clouds society’s understanding. Much of society, including police, prosecutors, judges and juries confuse consent with other forms of agreement that have far less weight.

Assent and acquiescence are insufficient as forms of agreement to conduct sexual activity of any kind, yet they’re often used incorrectly to claim a victim “consented” when they did nothing of the sort. Agreeing to any sexual conduct when you’re coerced, physically overwhelmed, drugged, intoxicated, deceived, too young or mentally impaired to “consent,” may qualify as “agreement,” but never qualifies as “consent!”

Only when CONSENT is present, which is FREELY GIVEN, KNOWLEDGEABLE AND INFORMED AGREEMENT #FGKIA, can any form of sexual conduct be lawfully conducted. Yet most of the prosecutors and judges across the country don’t respect, understand or apply the crucial difference between consent and other distinct types of agreement.

How do we put REAL teeth into sexual assault laws?

The solution is far easier than most people think! President Obama and Vice President Biden began the process when they created the #ItsOnUs Pledge. It begins with this simple language:

NON-CONSENSUAL SEX IS SEXUAL ASSAULT

Coupling this statement with the accurate definition of “consent” in penal code:

CONSENT IS FREELY GIVEN, KNOWLEDGEABLE AND INFORMED AGREEMENT…….

will open society’s eyes to what is and is not appropriate sexual conduct and pave the way to lock up the Harvey Wiensteins, Bill Cosbys, Donald Trumps and Roy Moores of the world!

What can you do to make a difference? 

• Contact every person you know who can help enact this proposed legislation that describes both the description of sexual assault, and the definition of consent. Call or write your legislators. Demand action!
• Contact everyone in the #TimesUp campaign to support #FGKIA legislation.
• Include #FGKIA in every re-tweet or comment to #TimesUp tweets! Help get this important message into the public eye, today!

The time to act is now because, indeed, #TimesUp!!