Sexual assault awareness week recently took place on campus. Using the name “beFOREPLAYask,” the purpose of the campaign was to remind students of the importance of gaining consent in sexual relationships.
Despite initiatives such as the Clothesline Project to spark conversation on sexual assault, it is rare that there is a rational and open discussion on the topic of consent, which is a crucial part of life on university campuses today.
Consent is best defined as “the ability to make a rational decision, in which the resulting outcome has an impact on the individual’s liberty.” The key here is the ability to make a rational decision. This is fundamental, for if an individual is unable to make a rational decision then the individual is unable to consent to their liberty being taken away in any regard.
There is a drive towards positive sexual experiences, the acceptance of sexuality, and the culture surrounding it on today’s campuses. It increasingly matters less if students are enjoying one another’s company, so long as they are comfortable in their own sexualities. Yet the question of consent still remains, especially when it concerns drinking.
Now, the effects of intoxication hinder the ability to make a rational decision. This in no way absolves responsibility. If two individuals are intoxicated, are they able to consent? The simple answer, given that neither can make a rational decision, is no. However, because they are in a state of equal irrationality—that is, both intoxicated—the requirement for rational consent becomes voided, provided neither individual is coerced in any way. What about a case where there is a significant inequality in the states of sobriety, and subsequently rationality? Due to the state of dramatic inequality, no actions should take place. This is because you have a party who is able to acknowledge and consent to actions taking place, and a party who cannot.
A rational individual who takes action in such a case fundamentally violates the liberty of the individual who cannot consent. It does not matter what the intoxicated individual is saying or doing. They are irrational, and therefore unable to consent. They cannot be trusted to act in their own best interest.
Why does consent matter? Simply because it is a topic that people find it all too easy to forget about. In all the excitement and chaos of classes starting, meeting new friends and getting used to campus, it’s easy for students to forget about the importance of consent throughout the entire academic year. However, this is an issue that directly affects students’ lives. Even with Carleton’s ardent advertising and awareness campaigns, a study from the Canadian Women Foundation revealed that only one in three Canadians know what consent means, despite 96 per cent of those surveyed agreeing that all sexual relationships require consent.
Let us not forget that consent is fundamental in any actions taking place between two individuals. Any action that occurs outside of that is a violation of the liberty of the individual acted against. Yet we still have individuals on our campus who have the audacity to say, “you were drunk, you were asking for it. It’s your fault.” Those people are wrong.
Individuals are not at fault when their liberties are stripped away from them without any choice in the matter. In a state of irrationality, a rational person acting against the interests of the individual is at fault.
Consent is not an emotional case, but a logical one. If you expect drunk people to take responsibility for their drunk actions, it is equally important to take responsibility for sober ones.
