More states consider making colleges adopt ‘yes means yes’ sex standard

More states are beginning to consider laws to make colleges and universities develop policies calling for “yes means yes” consent rule for sex, The Chronicle for Higher Education reports.

Across the country, colleges and universities have been struggling with ways to combat sexual assaults on their campuses. One idea gaining momentum is to change from preaching that “no means no,” to starting a “only yes means yes,” standard to signal that two people agree to engage in sex.

California Gov. Jerry Brown was one of the first, nearly a year ago, to sign a law requiring that his state’s schools adopt an “affirmative consent” standard. This month, New York’s Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed an affirmative consent law for his state’s college campuses to follow.

In a story this week, The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that other states besides New York, are making — or at least weighing — moves similar to Brown’s. Colleges in Minnesota are considering making affirmative consent language the campus policy. And in New Hampshire and New Jersey, new legislation would link state funding for colleges in part to their requiring the use of affirmative consent.

“Advocates and Title IX coordinators say one benefit of codifying the language in state law is that it sends a clear signal to college students: This issue matters,” The Chronicle story said.

This story was originally published July 28, 2015 at 2:07 PM with the headline "More states consider making colleges adopt ‘yes means yes’ sex standard."