Lysistrata Anyone? Withholding Sex to Stop #FGKIA Conflict

Lysistrata illustration by Aubrey Beardsley, 1896

Kavanaugh’s appointment illustrates a deep divide in our culture between the male and female sense of sexual assault, sexual entitlement and accountability.

Although not all women and not all men have the same opinion, by and large, when it comes to adopting laws to define CONSENT the most adamant opposition comes from men. And unfortunately, because most of our law makers are men, most of our states fail to define consent accurately in our laws.

So based on the play Lysistrata by philosopher and playwright Aristophenes back in 400+ BCE, here’s one approach women can take to make the point that we are not someone’s token, prize or entitlement, and anyone who wants to engage us sexually needs our Freely Given, Knowledgeable and Informed Agreement: #FGKIA!

Using sexual restraint to fight a war

Aristophenes contrived a comedy to explore an unusual way to end the Peloponnesian war that raged between Athens and Sparta for 27 years. His heroin, Lysistrata was an uncommonly responsible woman who drew a following from both sides of the conflict. Her aim was to engage all the women into withholding sexual pleasure from their men in order to motivate them to lay down their weapons and sign a treaty.

Hmmmmm…… Sound like a good way to end the conflict over our modern day divide?

Something needs to shake up our legislators!  

Generation after generation after generation have ignored the real meaning of consent to enable sexual predators to defile their victims.  It’s time to stop this madness!

You can begin by asking the candidates in the midterm elections, who are vying for your vote, where they stand on defining consent and showing them this TEDx Talk. And if that doesn’t sway their opinion….. Lysistrata anyone?