The Consent Pledge

I commit to making sure all my sexual encounters are fully consensual. I commit to getting a clear verbal or non-verbal "yes" from my sexual partner(s) before sexual escalation. I commit to not pressuring my partner to say "yes," to stop if my partner says "no," and to ask if I'm unsure. I commit to stopping if--in my most honest assessment--I don't believe that my partner is sober enough to give full consent.  

Explanatory Notes:

• The Consent Pledge is a publicly-made commitment going forward. Signing it does not mean one has or hasn’t followed it in the past. If you’ve never violated consent in the past, great, keep going--and please sign this pledge, as a public show of support for clear, unambiguous consent. If you have violated consent in the past, then find a way to take responsibility for your past behavior--and please still sign the pledge, as a commitment going forward.
• While you are welcome and encouraged to talk about the Consent Pledge with your sexual partner(s), that is entirely optional; it is a public, non-legally-binding pledge of commitment, not a contract or a “consent form” that needs to be shown to individual partners. 
• You are welcome and encouraged to sign the Consent Pledge no matter your relationship style or status: single, dating, coupled, married, divorced, monogamous, polyamorous: consent is important for everyone! 

• What is "fully consensual sex"? Fully consensual sex is sex that respects the autonomy of all parties to make their own decisions on their own terms, without pressure. Fully consensual sex is sex in which each partner is clear on what their own sexual boundaries are and what their partner’s sexual boundaries are in each moment, and those boundaries are respected by all. Fully consensual sex is sex with zero pressure. This model of consent--called “affirmative consent” or “enthusiastic consent”--is widely and rapidly becoming the new norm. Let's adopt this new model of consent, for the safety and sexual wellness of ourselves and everyone!

• This is a gender-neutral version of the pledge being promoted at www.ConsentPledge.com and here: http://tinyurl.com/y6wlr3ff - see additional FAQ there.