Affirmative Consent

On October 10, The Consent Campaign placed a fence on the MACC Plaza, an area with high traffic flow. The sign next to the fence instructed passersby to tie a ribbon on the fence for anyone they knew who had been impacted by sexual abuse: blue for sexual assault, purple for domestic violence, black for stalking, and white if they were an ally. Over four days, and with little prompting, over 300 ribbons were tied on the fence. 

The demonstration was intended mainly to call attention to the massive number of people who have been sexually assaulted and educate the campus on how relevant it is to Kent State students. However, it was quickly realized that it had much greater value than we had anticipated. Members of the consent campaign who watched over the fence were often approached and thanked for setting up the demonstration.

 

In reflecting on the responses that we received, we realized that the simple action of tying a ribbon was a chance for the stories of these students and/or their loved one to be acknowledged and, therefore, to matter. There was also a sense of unity in being able to see all of the ribbons together. It showed that there was a collective identity among those who had been touched by sexual abuse and reminded those who tied a ribbon that they were not alone.

 

For the consent campaign, which soon after adopted a model of mobilizing and empowering survivors, it meant that while, individually, the people we were advocating for had been robbed of power by their assaults, they had strength in numbers behind them. Together, they could be a powerful force in a situation ripe for change.