Imagine this: Your friend comes up and asks you for $5. You need that money to buy something important, but you’re incapable of saying no. Even though you haven’t said anything, your friend takes the money, assuming that it would be okay with you even though you haven’t agreed to giving them the $5. Consent is defined as giving permission, and there are legal requirements for giving consent.
Currently, in the state of Minnesota, the legality of consent has hit the headlines. The current law states that a person who sexually assaults another person who is voluntarily intoxicated will face nothing more than a gross misdemeanor, which is worse than a misdemeanor but still characterized as a minor crime. After reading over the Minnesota Rape and Sexual Assault laws, I notcied that nothing is stated about if and when someone is intoxicated. There have been multiple cases in the state that have been affected by this law. It’s an obvious loophole that has many people pointing out its unfairness.
Lawmakers have finally taken notice and have decided to fight to change the law to accommodate people who are raped while intoxicated. According to an article in the Washington Post, legislators tried to put forth a bill in 2019 to fix the law, but they instead brought together a group to study the issue. The bill states: “…criminal sexual conduct offenses… …statute of limitations removed for felony criminal sexual offenses.” Which means that the limitations previously held by the original law would be removed. It’s clear that nothing changed.
Until now, at least. The senate is considering the proposal of changing the law to include someone “under the influence of an intoxicating substance to a degree that renders them incapable of consenting.” This would change the law by punishing people who had sexual relations with someone voluntarily under the influence without consent. The law wouldn’t fix the problem completely, but it’s a step in the right direction.
A new study came out not too long ago that around 97% of women between the ages of 18 to 24 experience some form of sexual harassment. This statistic comes from a UK study based on data collected for the UN Women United Kingdom. This includes anything from rape to getting catcalled on the street. This statistic doesn’t include the countless women and girls who are harassed of all ages. Around 1 in 5 women in the United States are raped in their lifetime, which is a terrible statistic. The fear that women feel when they try to do daily activities is astronomical compared to what men have to worry about. While 1 in 71 men in the United States are raped in their lifetime, the numbers are nowhere near that of women.
When the 97% statistic first came out, there were many boys and men making jokes about it, saying stuff along the lines of “let’s make it 100%” and “the other 3% were fat”. I’ve only seen stuff like this online, but people share stories about hearing them in schools. There have even been men and boys (yes, middle school and highschool boys) that “joke” about “National Rape Day” which is supposed to be on April 24.
A lot of women and girls are terrified to go outside on that day, whether it’s with someone or not. Even during a normal evening, a woman will hold her keys a certain way in case she’s harassed, or she won’t go out past a certain time because she knows it’s more dangerous. This greatly affects how a woman lives her life versus a man, who doesn’t think twice about doing these things.
Men should be encouraged to treat women with the same respect someone would treat a human being, whether that be shutting down friends when they make a joke at a woman’s expense, or checking up on your female friends and relatives. Women, it’s not fun living in fear, but please stay safe.