Meg-John Barker's 'The Consent Checklist' is perfect for anyone who still doesn't quite get it.While generally we're talking about sex and consent more openly these days, ill-thought out inventions like the consent condom and research looking into our attitudes towards sexual consent show we're still not quite getting it. Just last year, a Family Planning Association (FPA) study found 39% of people aged 14-17 didn't think it was OK to withdraw consent while naked. It also found only 13% of people would feel comfortable talking about consent with a partner.
And while there are many consent explainers out there (remember the cup of tea metaphor?), they're often far too basic in their explanations, says Dr Meg-John Barker, relationships educator and author of Rewriting the Rules, , and Gender: A Graphic Guide.
"I think we're just beginning to get how important consent is, but a lot of resources out there are over-simplified: it's just about not doing things to a person if they've said 'no'," they explain. So Meg-John has created their own explainer in the form of a free, downloadable zine The Consent Checklist. Read more...
Meg-John Barker is the author of a number of popular books on sex, gender, and relationships, including Queer: A Graphic History, How To Understand Your Gender, Enjoy Sex (How, When, and IF You Want To), Rewriting the Rules, The Psychology of Sex, and The Secrets of Enduring Love. They have also written a number of books for scholars and counsellors on these topics, drawing on their own research and therapeutic practice.
