Consent Series Pt. 1: It’s Not About Sex

We need to stop thinking about consent as a strictly sexual topic.

Photo by Nandhu Kumar

This week, I’m kicking off a series of posts about consent. It won’t be the only thing I write about for the next few weeks, but expect it to come up a few times.

For Part 1, I want to cover some consent basics, including why consent actually has very little to do with sex.

What is Consent?

According to Merriam-Webster, consent is —

1: to give assent or approval : AGREE

2: archaic : to be in concord in opinion or sentiment

1: compliance in or approval of what is done or proposed by another : ACQUIESCENCE

2: agreement as to action or opinion

Despite the fact that sex isn’t mentioned in these definitions (or the examples Merriam-Webster provides), consent and sex are persistently intertwined in our broader conversations.

Search ‘consent definition’ online like I did, and the top organic result is from RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. After a few dictionary entries, the next results are from a sexual violence prevention program and Planned Parenthood.