The conversation around sexual consent has evolved at a maddeningly glacial pace. Only in recent years has the notion that consent is more than the absence of a “no,” and should, in fact, be enthusiastic and ongoing, gained widespread acceptance. Now, California is addressing a matter of consent that should be even more of a no-brainer: stealthing, the despicable practice of removing a condom during sex without consent. Last week, lawmakers approved a measure that could make California the first state to deem stealthing illegal, the New York Times reported. When will the rest of us finally ban it?
Per the Times, Governor Gavin Newsom faces an October 10 deadline to sign the bill — approved unanimously last Tuesday — into law. If passed, it would make stealthing a civil offense. As a result, it would enable victims to sue in civil court, The Guardian explained, but wouldn’t carry the possibility of prison time for perpetrators.
