An annual day highlighting the need for consent education in MI

Michigan Youth (MY) Consent Day is an initiative launched in 2014 to aid young people in understanding the difference between consent and non-consent. Its primary goal is to provide youth with resources to empower themselves to know their rights, communicate about consent, and engage in healthy relationships. 

MY Consent Day is held annually on the fourth Tuesday in September, and can be observed virtually or at in-person events. Sexual assaults are most likely to occur during the first three months of the school year – September, October, and November. MY Consent Day is held during this time in an effort to make young people more aware of their own actions, as well as the actions of those around them.

Michigan Youth (MY) Consent Day 2020 - virtual event series
Tuesdays in September via Zoom

We are holding multiple virtual events for this year's Michigan Youth (MY) Consent Day, an annual awareness day whose purpose is to provide youth with resources to empower themselves to know their rights, communicate about consent, and engage in healthy relationships.  This year's initiatives were developed through the Michigan Youth (MY) Consent Culture project and include activities for youth, educators, and the general public.

Descriptions for each event can be found below.  Here is the overview with info and registration links:
A Call to Action! - Tuesday, September 1
We're kicking off the month with a call for youth to share their stories related to consent and sexual violence in schools. Follow us on Instagram @Empowering.MIYouth and share via video, audio, or DM - we'll be compiling them until the end of the month!

Healthy Masculinity Movie Night: Shrek 2 - Tuesday, September 8 from 5:30-7:30pm
Join us for a screening of Shrek 2 followed by a panel with folks from Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan, Safe Haven Ministries, and Resilience as we discuss gender roles, communication, consent, & relationships! Register at bit.ly/shrek2masculinity.
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Health & Sex Education with Sonalee: Webinar for Educators - Tuesday, September 15 from 3:30-5:30pm
Join Sonalee, known as The Fat Sex Therapist on Instagram, for a two-hour webinar on body image, race, and gender in the classroom. We will dissect topics on gender fluidity, queer sex education, intuitive health, and unlearning food morality.  As part of MY Consent Month, we're thrilled to offer two workshops with Sonalee Rashatwar!  Sonalee (she/they), LCSW MEd is an award-winning clinical social worker, sex therapist, adjunct lecturer, and grassroots organizer. Based in Philly (licensed in NJ and PA), she is a superfat queer bisexual non-binary therapist and co-owner of Radical Therapy Center, specialized in treating sexual trauma, body image issues, racial or immigrant identity issues, and South Asian family systems, while offering fat and body positive sexual healthcare.

MY Consent Day - Tuesday, September 22
Could your district's sex ed be better? More comprehensive, inclusive, trauma-informed, survivor-centered?
We're asking youth to make their voices heard and contact their local school board and Michigan House representative in support of the sex education that all youth in Michigan deserve!  For more info, go to bit.ly/myconsentday2020.

Race & Body Image with Sonalee: Webinar for Youth - Tuesday, September 29 from 6-8pm
Join Sonalee, known as The Fat Sex Therapist on Instagram, as we explore how to politicize concepts like body image, fatphobia, and food morality by bringing white supremacy into the frame.  As part of MY Consent Month, we're thrilled to offer two workshops with Sonalee Rashatwar!  Sonalee Rashatwar (she/they), LCSW MEd is an award-winning clinical social worker, sex therapist, adjunct lecturer, and grassroots organizer. Based in Philly (licensed in NJ and PA), she is a superfat queer bisexual non-binary therapist and co-owner of Radical Therapy Center, specialized in treating sexual trauma, body image issues, racial or immigrant identity issues, and South Asian family systems, while offering fat and body positive sexual healthcare.
  • Consent Basics
  • Past MYCD Resources
  • Curriculum
  • Videos/Graphics
  • Policy
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What is consent?
Consent is an informed, voluntary, and mutual decision among all participants to engage in any activity, including sexual activity.  Consent must create clear permission and willingness to participate.  All people in a sexual situation must feel that they are able to say "yes" or "no" or stop the sexual activity at any point.

Who should ask for consent?
The person who is initiating or escalating the level of activity (for example, moving onto a sexual act not yet agreed upon) is responsible for asking for consent and respecting whether consent is given or denied.  All parties involved in a sexual situation should frequently "check-in" during sexual activities.

Why ask for consent?
Consent shows respect to your partner(s)'s body, their autonomy, and their pleasure. Consent ensures that you and your partner(s) are on the same page and communicate your needs and boundaries. Sex without consent is sexual violence. 

Consent is... enthusiastic, verbal and nonverbal, voluntary, sober, ongoing, mutual, physical, emotional, reversible

Consent is NOT... assumed, implied, coerced, the absence of "no," silence, compliance, manipulation, intimidation
Many sex education curriculums may include lessons about consent; however, many are not free or available to the public.  Here are a few lesson plan options on consent that are free and accessible online:
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Videos and visuals can be a great teaching tool around consent.  We've compiled a list of a few videos used to teach about consent and broken them up by suggested grade level; however, we recognize that students may be at different levels of learning/understanding, and so we encourage you to view them prior to sharing and make the determination about what will work best for your students:

For elementary school: For middle/high school: For high school and older: ​
If you would like to know more about current advocacy efforts and policy considerations around consent (beyond those listed on the MOASH resource page and MOASH advocacy page), check out the following:
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