Consent Happy - Ep. 425

I’m what you might call Consent Happy and I’m in no way being sarcastic, I CRAVE consent, in fact--for all manner of interactions and activities, Consent is Informed, Conscious, Revocable, Affirmative, Voluntary and Enthusiastic, The first letters of which spell out “I CRAVE”--thus satisfying my poetic sensitivities. [full text below] Ep. 425 - Consent Happy We begin as always with the Happy Creed. We believe in Happy, in Balance and Growth, of being Mindful and Grateful, Compassionate and Understanding. Yowza Haha My Happy Friends! I’m what you might call Consent Happy and I’m in no way being sarcastic, I CRAVE consent, in fact--for all manner of interactions and activities, Consent is Informed, Conscious, Revocable, Affirmative, Voluntary and Enthusiastic, The first letters of which spell out “I CRAVE”--thus satisfying my poetic sensitivities. Consent must be Informed or else you won’t know what you’re agreeing to, And Conscious, since you can’t agree if you’re all passed out with nowhere to go, And Revocable, meaning you can take it back if that’s what you want to do, And Affirmative, meaning it’s a clear decision and not just the absence of the word No. Consent must also be Voluntary, and not the result of some pressure or threat, And it must be Enthusiastic, meaning it is clearly, positively and actively stated, And I CRAVE Consent because this world doesn’t seem to have gotten that memo yet, This means I think people should ask before they so much as hug--even if you’re related. Maybe someone’s suddenly shy, or has back pain or just feels icky inside, Consent is just a good habit to get into as it gives people a choice, And it also means that people who do the asking have to be okay with being denied, ‘Cause it defeats the whole purpose if nobody listens to your voice. And the right of Consent is not just for some people, but for everyone, Regardless of gender, age, culture, relationship or any previous consent, Just ‘cause you hugged somebody once doesn’t mean consent is over and done-- Reestablish it each and every time in case something changed in preference or intent. Now I know this must seem like overkill to some folks ‘cause who’s going to bother? Like, what kid is really going to ask for consent to hug or kiss his mother or father? And I get that, which is why I say it’s something I CRAVE, since I know it’s in short supply, And I can’t even claim that I always insist that others comply. Sometimes it’s tough to stop someone before they grab you, And saying something then might be seen as unfriendly and a bit cuckoo, But I still prefer consent, regardless, and I want to normalize it, So let it just be a reminder that we all should decide what we’re willing to permit. Haha Yowza