Members of Sex-Esteem take issue with article in October issue of Jerk Magazine

We are writing this letter to address our concern about a Jerk Magazine article which appeared in the magazine’s October issue. As members of the Advocacy Center’s peer sexuality group, Sex-Esteem, which is centered around the promotion of healthy sexuality, we feel as if some of the content of the article could potentially be problematic.

Our first concern is for survivors of sexual violence. Knowing that on any college campus there is a high rate of sexual assault, we would be remiss if we did not pay attention to some of the issues presented to us.

First, we would like to start by providing our definition of consent. It is a sober and un-coerced “yes.” We appreciate that the article encourages an enthusiastic “yes,” however; we do not agree that a “no” could ever mean “yes.” “No” always means “no,” and the absence of a “no” is also not consent for any form of sexual activity.

By perpetuating the idea that a “no” could sometimes mean “yes,” there is an implication that some of the responsibility in a case of sexual assault lies with the potential victim. Victim blaming is never OK. We are concerned with the message that it is OK to pursue sexual advances when someone says “no.”

A “no” means “no.” Sometimes policy implies that sexual assault is merely a miscommunication when, in reality, it is an individual making a choice to exert power over a potential victim. One of the safest and easiest ways to prevent sexual assault on this campus is to abide by the rule of consent as nothing but a sober and un-coerced “yes.”

Second, we would like to address the hetero-normative perspective from which the magazine is written. Rape and acts of sexual violence are not discriminatory. They occur among all gender identities and sexual orientations, and those cases are just as important as ones involving heterosexual acts. Rape is about exerting power over another and using sex as the means to exert that power.

The mission of Sex-Esteem, a peer sexuality group associated with the Advocacy Center, is to provide peer education leadership at Syracuse University, which creates opportunities for people to grow and explore how they, and those around them, function in relationships. We hope we have created such an opportunity with this letter.

Sincerely yours,
The Members of Sex-Esteem