
Consent is not one question at the start and then silence. It is ongoing: 'Is this still okay?' 'Want to keep going?' 'Slow down?' Either person can pause or stop at any time without owing a courtroom defense. Silence, freezing, or 'I guess' is not a yes.
Drunk, asleep, pressured, or threatened is not consent. Coercion dressed as romance — 'If you loved me you would' — is a no. Write your own hard limits in private before you need them under pressure. Limits can include acts, pace, locations, or 'not tonight and that's fine.'
Pro tip. Practice saying 'I'm not into that' out loud alone until it feels normal. Easier the tenth time than the first under stress.










