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I'm seeing a lot of really distressing talk about Alex Morse. So here's a thread from me, a consent educator, on how to understand what's going on. Let's talk about power. https://twitter.com/studentactivism/status/1292821792910987266
What's clear is there are College Dems who have said that Morse, a Mayor, pursued them in ways that made them feel uncomfortable.
This is all you need to know in order to know that the Mayor's consent practice wasn't robust enough.
This is all you need to know in order to know that the Mayor's consent practice wasn't robust enough.
Like all of us, the Mayor is wielding power where ever he goes, whether he wants to or not. By nature of being Mayor, he's got more than most of us. Add college democrats to the equation? Even more than usual.
Consent is about having the tools to diffuse those power imbalances.
Consent is about having the tools to diffuse those power imbalances.
That means the Mayor has to do more (as should all of us, tbh) than just "Do you want to have sex? Check yes or no." He's got to do the work to make it clear that no is an ok answer. That no won't affect these kids' political careers. Or the status of the College Dems.
That yes won't give them additional access to political spaces or donations.
And some power imbalances are so wide that even good consent practice can't bridge the gap. I don't know if that's the case here or not; I don't know enough.
And some power imbalances are so wide that even good consent practice can't bridge the gap. I don't know if that's the case here or not; I don't know enough.
But I do know that when your consent practice takes into account the power that you carry **even if you don't intend to wield it** and makes sure everyone else is enthusiastic about what's happening, they don't write public letters telling you to stop showing up to their events.
I'm not especially invested in the appropriate consequences for the Mayor's consent breakdowns. I don't think we have enough detail, and I'm going to defer to those harmed in this case.
But everyone saying "this was all consensual" is, by definition, wrong.
But everyone saying "this was all consensual" is, by definition, wrong.
This is so important because it's not just about Morse. Young political staffers are trying to navigate this dynamic ALL THE TIME. https://twitter.com/MalindaFrevert/status/1292892958417719296?s=20
