From the inside cover, “Have you ever heard the phrase “it’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission?” violating consent isn’t limited to sexual relationships, and our discussions around consent shouldn’t be either. To resist rape culture, we need a consent culture- and one that is more than just reactionary. Left confined to intimate spaces, consent will atrophy as theory that is never put into practice. The multi-layered power disparities of today’s world require a response sensitive to a wide range of lived experiences.
In Ask, Kitty Stryker assembles a retinue of writers, journalists, and activists to examine how a cultural politic centered on consent can empower us outside the bedroom, whether it’s at the doctor’s office, interacting with law enforcement, or calling out financial abuse within radical communities.
More than a collection of essays, Ask is a testimony and guide on the role that negated consent plays in our lives, examining how we can take those first steps to reclaim it from institutionalized power.”
Join us as we read and discuss Ask together during April, Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month. This will be a good opportunity to read a book with your friends and build community during this period of isolation. All discussion meetings are online via zoom and you can join with your computer or phone!
Reading goals & discussion times!*
April 9th @ 6pm: Foreword, Introduction, first two sections “In the Bedroom” and “In the School”
April 16th @ 6pm: sections “In the Jail,” “In the Workplace,” “In the home”
April 23rd @ 6pm: sections “In the Hospital” and “In the Community”
April 30th: Afterword and online Q&A with Ask editor, Kitty Stryker!
*Please feel free to join the discussions even if you haven’t met reading goals!
Register below for more information and the zoom links for discussions!
Learn more about Ask and Kitty Stryker here: