Raw Story
7.9.15 | Arturo Garcia
he implementation of an affirmative consent law in New York state had Fox News host Megyn Kelly concerned on Tuesday, as she fretted that men are presumed guilty too often in college sexual assault cases.
“It is important to improve the rights of women who are victims of sexual assault on college campuses,” she told colleague Brit Hume. “But we are going in a direction where we almost entirely eliminate the rights of men. And there’s a presumption now in these campuses, thanks to the Obama administration, of guilt. There’s a presumption of non-consent. And if you are a young man who gets accused, it’s your burden to go in there and prove consent, and we’re getting to the point where you have to have a contract. And if you don’t, you’re gonna be presumed a rapist.”
As CBS News reported, the new law will require students in New York private colleges and universities to ensure there is “clear affirmative agreement” between them if they have sex.
The law also gives students the right to report any incident to either local police or their campus counterparts, and creates a system ensuring accuracy in campus reports of sexual assault to state officials.
But while she supported efforts to reduce sexual assaults on campuses, Kelly also linked the law to advocacy groups like the Affirmative Content Project. (ACP)
Kelly showed a picture of a “Contract Card” the ACP sells on its website, saying it called for students to write down their consent.
While the card encourages students to take a picture with their partners holding it and fill out a form on the back, it also states, “If you decide not to follow steps 1 or 2 — please take this moment to agree to have consensual sex with each other. YES means YES.”
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