Affirmative consent is fine if you envision it as a standard that only applies to acts of intercourse. The problem with affirmative consent is that it would be applied to all physical contact, regardless of the context or the background of the parties. Do you stop and ask for permission every single time you so much as lay a hand on your long-term boyfriend or girlfriend? If not, then that is sexual assault under a strict affirmative consent standard. I agree that you should always ask before engaging in sex, but there needs to be more leeway for more casual contact. Especially in an existing relationship where standing norms and boundaries have long been established. IâÄôm continually exasperated by how incredibly unsophisticated discussions concerning the definition of sexual assault tend to be. Just because something sounds good on a bumper sticker doesnâÄôt mean it makes sense as a standard for adjudicating real-life cases of contested consent. – Vacenza via mndaily.com For myself, a woman, I would find the affirmative consent plan oppressive. I am an older student, the age of most of the young studentsâÄô parents. I agree there needs to be some action to prevent sexual assaults on college campuses, but I just donâÄôt think this is the way to go about it. I donâÄôt know what could replace this, but the affirmative consent is not it. A big part of the outcry over sexual assaults on college campuses seems to be due to the universities failing to do right by the victims. This policy does nothing to change or improve the universitiesâÄô response to an assault. As a student and an adult, I donâÄôt want another large entity to reach into my personal life to dictate how I should act in my private life. I would feel the same if it were my son or daughter as the student at the University of Minnesota. I believe the students who might be the aggressors in a sexual assault will not be hindered by this policy. – Wendoozy via mndaily.com