Hi everyone,
Sexual consent classes!
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-34615631***********************
It's just that I feel if you need to be taught what consent is and what consent isn't, then you don't have respect for other human beings."
But how clear-cut is consent, particularly in the kinds of social situations involving drink and drugs in which university students often find themselves?
Under British law, specifically the Sexual Offences Act 2003, a person has to have the "freedom and capacity" to choose to have sex.
And advice from the UK's Crown Prosecution Service notes that capacity is particularly relevant when alcohol is involved - a person for instance can't consent if they're too drunk or high, although that's a subjective test which doesn't depend, for instance, on blood alcohol levels.
"What kind of deranged feminist assumes that every male student is a rapist and forces them to take a consent class?" tweeted one critic of the lessons.
Another said: "People do understand consent, sadly some disobey the wishes of another party. A class won't stop this by itself."
The debate did not break down strictly on gender lines, with some men coming out in favour of the courses and some women being against them.
"These consent lessons have good intentions," tweeted journalist Caroline Criado-Perez. "But I think they misread the problem. Rapists aren't ignorant. They just don't care."
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Any views?
Sriram
