The same is true for so-called “nonconsensual sex,” a term that is appearing in The Times with increasing frequency. “Nonconsensual sex” is the language of the accused, used to hijack the conversation and sugarcoat allegations of sexual assault. You have written that Bill O’Reilly, Harvey Weinstein and others have recently denied allegations of “nonconsensual sex.”In “There Is No Such Thing as ‘Nonconsensual Sex.’ It’s Violence” (The Stone, nytimes.com, Nov. 21, 2016), Kelly Oliver noted, “The erosion of rights can happen in a variety of ways, and manipulation of language is one of them.” She went on to say: “Implicit in the concept of sex is consent. Without consent, sexual activity becomes rape.”It’s time to stop allowing the perpetrators to frame the dialogue. Words matter; choose them wisely.

Source: New York Times October 27, 2017 18:00 UTC