# Lack of affirmative consent as rape? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 18, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-affirmative-consent-as-rape/506884 "2009-08-18T20:32:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 9
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-affirmative-consent-as-rape/506884/9 "2009-08-18T22:12:35Z")
I think it’s neither just nor practical to set a standard that requires men to be either telepathic, haul in a legal witness and forms for any romantic interlude, or both. I don’t think that requiring a woman to say “No” ( in a situation where the isn’t any overt threat at least ) is an unfair burden. It’s also quite insulting to her to constantly demand verbal proof of consent from a woman. You might as well outright say you expect her to lie and falsely claim rape. The fact is that people consent to sex and all sorts of other things without explicitly saying so all the time, and you aren’t going to change that. I also note the implied sexism in only assuming that the _ **woman** _ is being “raped” if she doesn’t explicitly say yes at every step. Of course a man who claimed to be too terrified to resist a woman who hadn’t even made a threat would be laughed at. And yes, a woman could certainly threaten a man if she wanted to; she _ **might** _ have a gun or knife. Just as that big strong man _ **might** _ choose to grab the woman. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-affirmative-consent-as-rape/506884)._