Before Valentine’s Day, UF students can learn about consent.
UF’s Sexual Trauma/Interpersonal Violence Education, or STRIVE, will host its third annual Cupid’s Consent Week starting Friday. The group is hosting three main events to discuss giving and receiving sexual consent, Rita Lawrence, the adviser for STRIVE UF, said.
She said the country is changing from a “no means no” attitude to a “yes means yes” perspective. Overall, society is promoting that sex is voluntary.
Lawrence said one of the goals of the week is to clear up some misconceptions regarding sexual consent. She said some may not know that those who are drunk cannot give consent.
She said the understanding of sexual consent has gained national attention.
“We are in the midst of culture change,” Lawrence said.
Lawrence said almost no attention has been paid to men as sexual assault victims, in addition to women. Almost all sexual assaults occur with a person the victim knows, not with strangers.
“People don’t really realize it’s happening,” Megan Ingram, a UF telecommunication freshman, said.
A panel discussion will be held in the atrium of Ustler Hall to discuss sexual consent. The panelists will be graduate students, and the event is partnering with UF’s LGBT Student Affairs, Lawrence said.
Ingram, 18, said she hopes panelists bring in facts and numbers regarding sexual assault to emphasize how big the problem is.
The sexual consent fair will offer activities regarding sexual consent, Lawrence said.
Michael Hedrich, a UF materials science and engineering freshman, said he hopes some of the activities address self-control and how alcohol affects decisions.
“Consent is really the only thing that matters,” Hedrich, 19, said.
If students complete at least six events, they can receive special prizes, such as shirts or umbrellas, Lawrence said.
“We want to make sex fun for everyone,” she said.
