The Intersection: Nate Parker, Denial and the Damage Done

The Intersection is a regular, in-depth segment in which we examine the many layers of oppression, violence, and trauma that we encounter in our survivor-focused and community-based work at STAR. The Background Nate Parker is an actor, writer and director who has recently received a great deal of attention for his new film The Birth of… Read More

Pro (Social) Tips: Building healthy (and happy) relationships

It’s February, so you know what that means! Valentine’s Day, candy hearts, chocolates, flowers, gushiness, consensual hugs and kisses, and bright and shiny relationships with no imperfections at all! Okay, so that’s not actually real life. Relationships can bring us joy, comfort and life-sustaining emotional nourishment. They can also be challenging, unsettling and anxiety-inducing. So,… Read More

Featured Finds: Planned Parenthood demonstrates consent

Planned Parenthood released a series of videos to demonstrate what consent looks and sounds like in a true-to-life, practical, and engaging way. The videos, featuring different types of partnerships, answer the question, “How do you know if someone wants to have sex with you?” by exploring various situations… like, when they’re into it: or when… Read More

The Good News: August 2015

THE BIG PICTURE “The secret your son isn’t telling you about campus sexual assault“ We all want to believe it’s not my son. Not my son who is the 1 in 3 college men who would rape if he could get away with it. Not my son who is the 1 in 9 college men who have admitted… Read More

Sex is Great! Consent is the presence of a yes, not the absence of a no

In our first Consent Campaign post, we explored how those who commit rape often use alcohol as a tool to incapacitate and control their victims. In our second post, we tackled the connection between alcohol and unhealthy norms of sexual interaction. With this post, we are building a vision of healthy sexuality and want to… Read More

Alcohol ≠ Foreplay: Shouldn’t the attraction be intoxicating enough?

In our first Consent Campaign essay, we explored how those who commit rape often use alcohol as a tool to incapacitate and control their victims. In this essay, we’re tackling the connection between alcohol and unhealthy norms of sexual interaction. Being sexually immature means wanting to do it, but not wanting to talk about it. –Mike… Read More

“Drunk Yet?” Alcohol is the #1 date rape drug

Trigger Warning: This essay contains a scenario of acquaintance rape. Education Warning: This essay contains information that may change the way you think about the connection between alcohol and rape. Because it is legal and can be found pretty much anywhere, many people fail to recognize alcohol as a drug. Yet it is a drug, and… Read More

(Rape) Culture of Entitlement

“Rape is not a recreational activity.” -Mike Dewine, Ohio Attorney General Pundits and many others regularly go on about the corrosive effects of a culture of entitlement on society. Mostly, those accused of displaying this sense of entitlement are those who live in poverty and receive public assistance. Meanwhile, many other forms of entitlement go… Read More

The Miniskirt Myth

Did you know miniskirts cause rape? It is being reported that Swaziland has criminalized the wearing of “miniskirts, low-rise jeans and midriff-bearing tops” in a supposed effort to reduce rape. Police in Swaziland, the last absolute  monarchy in Africa and an incredibly conservative nation, have resurrected an  archaic colonial criminal act from 1889 to stop… Read More