In an email to the entire Yale student body, Dean of Student Marichal Gentry reminded students that “consensual sex can be glorious”. We’re used to getting emails about staying safe, saving the Yale Police phone number in our phones, and to always call for help, especially around the biggest drinking weekends of the year. The past two years we have received very standard emails about Spring Fling, Harvard-Yale, and Halloween, but this one definitely caught the eye. With unusually eloquent prose for Dean Gentry he reminded us,

A few years ago when we introduced the idea that consensual sex could be glorious, it seems that was a surprise to many.  Consensual sex is having the sex you want, something you can say “yes” to, not something you’re afraid to say “no” to. Glorious consensual sex is something given, not taken, something shared not endured: something that makes you smile the next day, not something that hurts psychologically, emotionally or physically.

Halloween weekend is like all other weekends and as always, safety and the wellbeing of all students is our primary concern.  Please look out for and take care of one another.  Having fun should not mean taking advantage of or being disrespectful to anyone else. The SHARE Center exists because there is a need. Sexual assaults happen on our campus. Consensual sex requires a strong affirmative agreement.  When alcohol is included, the likelihood of an assault by disregarding the wishes and boundaries of another person and not having consent increases dramatically.

Despite the awkwardness of hearing about the way sex can “make you smile the next day” from a university administrator, it no doubt needed to be said in some capacity.  May all our consensual sex this Halloween weekend be glorious.