Really appreciate the elaboration, and I agree with everything you said—-with the slight exception of social and physical cues being easy to read. Most of the time that's true. And the examples you use are entirely appropriate. But sometimes people think they're using cues to signal something, but their intention…

That was brilliant.

Absolutely agree. I think people have the wrong idea if they're talking about shifting the burden of proof, that's dangerous territory, and I don't see this law doing that at all.

If you're concerned about miscommunication, just say what you want instead of giving cues and expecting mind reading.

I think that idea, that this requires some sort of change in behavoir, is exactly the problematic misperception that is causing some of the resistance to the law. No, this doesn't require a change, nor should it. Consent happens all the time and in many forms. Aside from the rapists, people need only keep keep doin…

No no no. It doesn't say that you need to have some explicit phrasing saying, yes I agree to have sex with you:

Absolutely. The people talking about contracts and other bullshit are just arguing against a dumb strawman. Look at the actual requirements:

How do you define duress? Force or coercion? Or just pressure?

Oh, and I bet a lot of the women complaining about this dude are the same ones that take up another seat with their purses too. Because it's just a matter of courtesy to other people, and the folks who only think the issue is the other gender aren't exactly exhibiting decency or a genuine concern about good public…

Reasonable people can agree. But that seems in short supply.

True, the bag thing is really mostly a purse issue. And it's the same damned sense of entitlement as dude with their legs spread. They just feel like they own the place and don't need to be courteous to others around them.

Yep. I think there are 3 simple rules people who genuinely give a damn about courtesy on public transportation can agree on:

To be honest, every time I have seen this, male or female, that bag is moving for nobody unless a Black man steps on the train, and then suddenly, like magic, it needs to be on their lap!

I don't think there's any reason to make this a competition between genders, but you're absolutely right that the "my purse is an extra person and is entitled to a seat!!!" is a widespread problem too.

I hear that!

You seem to be missing the point.

So when people tell me how to make sure I'm safe traveling to certain foreign countries, it's reasonable to be angry at them because I've heard it before?

I think the problem with the message is saying "just don't rape" is not only ineffective, it's probably counterproductive. Because any decent person would say, yeah no shit.

Yeah, risk mitigation is a good thing—-so long as it's within reason. Simply telling people not to drink is not within reason. Bringing someone you trust along with you, that seems to me to be within reason (because that's non-gendered, bringing company somewhere you might expect to be a victim of something is just a…

So, I'd love to see consent discussed more in depth on college campuses amongst both men and women.