The topic of consent is constantly in the media.
Works like Asking for It by Louise O’Neill have placed the issue at the forefront of the news agenda. Cases like the Stanford rape case exist and act as a constant reminder that there are still people who fail to fully grasp the concept that No means No.
It’s baffling, but confusion is the unfortunate reality.
And while many commenters have lent their voices to the already roaring discussion, one girl just clarified any blurred lines.
Alice Brine from New Zealand took to Facebook to compare assault to theft in an articulate post.
“I’m gunna start going home with random very drunk guys and stealing all of their shit. Everything they own. It won’t be my fault though… they were drunk. They should have known better. I’ll get away with it 90% of the time but then when one brave man takes me to court over it, I’ll argue that I wasn’t sure if he meant it when he said ‘no don’t steal my Audi.’ I just wasn’t sure if he meant it. I said ‘Can I please steal your Gucci watch?’ He said ‘no’ but I just wasn’t sure if he meant it. He was drunk. He brought this on himself. You should have seen how he was dressed at the club, expensive shirts and shoes. What kind of message is he sending with that!? I thought he wanted me to come and steal all of his shit. He was asking for it. When he said ‘no’ to me taking everything he owned I just didn’t know if he meant it. ‘No’ isn’t objective enough, it could mean anything.”
Commenters are mostly praising Brine for the comparison, but worryingly there are still several who are fans of victim-blaming.
