Editing Sexual consent (section)

==="No means no"===
[[File:FEMEN 15 oct 2012-b.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A [[FEMEN]] activist holds a sign reading "Non=Non", French for "no=no", at a 2012 protest.]]
The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) created the "No Means No" campaign in the 1990s to increase awareness by university students about "sexual assault, acquaintance rape, and dating violence" and decrease the incidence of these issues. The CFS developed a “No Means No” campaign that included research on sexual assault and producing and distributing buttons, stickers, posters and postcards with the slogan and other information. According to the CFS, "No Means No" to set in place a no tolerance approach to sexual violence and harassment and educate students about these issues.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cfs-ns.ca/no-means-no/ |title=No means no, in every way, in every language |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website=cfs-ns.ca |publisher=Canadian Federation of Students |access-date=9 June 2018 |quote=}} </ref>

Concerns about the "no means no" approach developed, however, because some people cannot say no, either because they are not conscious, intoxicated or facing threats or coercion, with the coercion issue being especially important in cases where there is a power imbalance between two people in a sexual encounter. To address these concerns, there was a shift from 'no means no' to 'yes means yes' (affirmative consent), to ensure that people were not having sexual actions taken on them due to not speaking up or not resisting. <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=54192 |title=Creating a consent culture beyond 'no means no' |last=Mahoney |first=Neve |date=17 October 2017 |website=www.eurekastreet.com |publisher=Eureka Street |access-date=9 June 2018 |quote=}} </ref> Amanda Hess states that a person may not be able to say no, or they may be intoxicated or passed out, or they may freeze up from fear.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/why-a-law-meant-to-protect-college-students-from-rape-has-become-so-polarizing-2015-7 |title=Why a law meant to protect college students from rape has become so polarizing |last=Jackson |first=Abby |date=31 July 2015 |website=www.businessinsider.com |publisher=Business Insider |access-date=21 June 2018 |quote=}} </ref>

Sherry Colb criticizes the "no means no" approach on the grounds that it makes sexual contact the "default" option when two people have agreed to be in private in a date-like situation, at least until the woman says "no" to the other person's advances. Colb says that under the "no means no" approach, a man who is in private with a woman in a romantic context can undress her and penetrate her if she does not say "no", even if she is staring ahead and saying and doing nothing, which Colb says treats being quiet or not moving as an invitation to sex.<ref name="Colb">{{cite web |url=https://verdict.justia.com/2014/10/29/making-sense-yes-means-yes |title=Making Sense of "Yes Means Yes" |last=Colb |first=Sherry |date=29 October 2014 |website=verdict.justia.co |publisher=Justica |access-date=23 June 2018 |quote=}} </ref> She says that under a "no means no" approach, there is not a metaphorical "Do Not Trespass" sign on a woman's body, and as such, women have to fear that accepting a date and being in private with the partner could lead to unwanted sex.<ref name="Colb"/>

Dr. Ava Cadell suggests that women in sexual encounters tell their partner that they want to use a code expression or [[safe word]] to tell the other participant to stop the sexual contact, such as "Code Red". She says the words "no" and "stop" "have been used frivolously, playfully, and teasingly in the past and are not always taken seriously.”<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.muscleandfitness.com/women/sex-tips/do-you-need-sex-agreement|title=Do you need a sex agreement |last=Demarco |first=Justin |date= |website=www.muscleandfitness.com |publisher=Muscle and Fitness |access-date=30 March 2019 |quote=}} </ref>