UK Student Who “Doesn’t Look Like a Rapist” Objects to Consent Workshops “Like Any Self-Respecting Individual Would”

[Halubaris Maphotika]

http://www.themarysue.com/uk-student-objects-consent-workshops/

 

What's your opinion on the recent "Consent Workshops" being introduced on a lot of UK campuses? Can it help solve the problem or is it trying to hard?

[Kyng]

If it does me no harm, and others no harm, then live and let live.

 

Still, I strongly agree with a particular point made in the article. It is likely tons of students were invited, not just him, so don't take these things personal.

[Ryusei the Morning Star]

We get offended too damn easily these days. 

[Makο]

I understand the feeling he has. "Why do I have to go to this? Do I look like a rapist to everyone? That hurts, man."

 

But regardless, it's one of those situations where you just suck it up and deal with it. He'll forget about it within the week.

[epicmemesbro]

I think they are going overboard with this, both sides are. The guy is starting to make this into some form of activism. Then again this article is awfully biased....

[jackelgull]

I'm not sure. People have wonky ideas about consent. A workshop to set those ideas straight isn't something I'm against. However, there's the question of whether the discussion of the issue is being handled with the delicacy it deserves.

[Flame Dragon]

The "doesn't look like a rapist" is such an asinine thing to say. What do you think a rapist looks like? Media does a horrible thing with how we perceive "bad guys" since the reality is they are normal people, they just happen to have done something wrong. Its like, a person can feel sexually violated when they are in an actual relationship because their significant other wasn't backing down when they said no. That happens, a hell of a lot more than it should which indicates that the common sense of "no means no" is something a lot of people struggle with.

 

I thought about it a little more. That idea of "I don't look like a rapist" is arguably incredibly dangerous since it seems to suggest that you should just be able to trust someone because they "look nice". You could even argue that idea has some undertones of victim blaming since its very easy to go "couldn't you tell that person was no good".

[Tentacruel]

"I don't look like a rapist," is a weird thing to say, but I can kinda understand the sentiment.  The "consent" workshops and other things they're pushing at universities is super funking patronizing. 

[(GigaDrillBreaker)]

Agree with tenta here. The way the article was written made me cringe.

[ihop]

There's overreaction on both sides here. The guy really didn't need to post something like that online, it's the sort of thing you agree with or silently disagree with but just let it happen because it's better safe than sorry, but there's really no need to crucify him in an article like that. I didn't much like how the article was written either and its implications, but I do agree that the post wasn't in good taste and "I don't look like a rapist" is odd.

[Flame Dragon]

The reason the article is the way it is is because of how common his ideas are and because of how dangerous they can be. I already went over why "I don't look like a rapist" is a stupid and dangerous thing to believe but the idea that we don't need to have a refresher course in what is consent is simply not true. As the article says its sadly all too common for a person to be sexually violated by their partner because they didn't want to have sex but they other did and they kept pushing. In much the same way his receiving an invitation wasn't a slight on him the article isn't trying to bully him, rather its using what he said, which again are ideas that are held by a large number of people, and explaining why they are problematic. I really can't drive that point home hard enough. It isn't just for him, but also for everyone that shares his ideas.