The news is out … and it’s good, really, really good! The state of California has passed and the Governor (Jerry “Moon-Beam” Brown) has signed legislation declaring that “Yes Means Yes.” 
Wow. For myself, I am greatly relieved, because I have been operating under the ridiculous notion that yes might mean no or yes might mean maybe or yes might mean whatever I choose it to mean at any particular point in time … subject to immediate change at any particular point in time!
But I now know and understand that Yes is what the dictionary says it is: affirmation, assent or approval. This has taken a huge load off my mind!
As I understand this specific piece of legislation, it will apply to all post-secondary institutions (public and private) within the state of California. These institutions will be required to follow certain guidelines when dealing with sexual assaults.
This includes training faculty and staff in proper interview techniques so as to avoid asking questions (certain questions deemed inappropriate) whenever sexual assaults are reported. The UC system will also be establishing an independent network of advocates to support sexual assault victims on its campuses. Continue reading “Affirma-confusion”