Rethinking Consent in The #MeToo Era
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Over the weekend, a 23-year-old female photographer recounted her experience of a date with comedian Aziz Ansari last fall, in which her verbal and nonverbal cues that she was uncomfortable went ignored. She told the website Babe that it was “the worst night of her life.”
The woman, whose identity has not been revealed, says she felt pressured into sexual acts with Ansari.
“I believe that I was taken advantage of by Aziz,” she said.
Aziz has responded, claiming the encounter “by all indications was completely consensual.”
Lots of people have pointed out that, in this story, the lines feel especially blurry. And it’s opened a new chapter in the conversation about consent in the #MeToo era.
As part of our weekly conversation about women and gender issues, we asked Jessica Bennett of The New York Times and Koa Beck of Jezebel to give us their take.
