Consent Campaign: Mattress Demonstration

 

Mattress display at Risman Plaza

On October 17, 2016 the Consent Campaign arranged four mattresses on Risman Plaza where students frequently walk between different sides of campus. On the mattress pile were two large signs reading “You didn’t tell us to put these mattresses here, but you didn’t say not to. Silence does not equal consent.” On the sides of the mattresses where two other signs, one with a “recipe for sex” that included “a willing partner, miscellaneous accessories, and clear consent.” The mattresses demonstrated that just because there is a lack of objection to an action doesn’t mean the action was asked for. Passing students took photos of the demonstration, and it was retweeted over 1,000 times.  Lesson learned: when you want to send a message, make it so weird that it cannot be ignored. 

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