Are you worried the people in your life won’t have consensual conversations with you? You’re not alone. Every day, people initiate conversations and are not able to ascertain what the other person is consenting to and they just keep going. We have a card you can hand out to people that explains the basics:
Text of Card: Consent is willing, positive cooperation in an act or the expression of a desire to engage in an activity.
You have to have this conversation with anyone you want to engage in consensual conversations with?
You could begin by saying:
“Hey, I’ve been trying to be more consensual with the conversations I’ve been having. This is what I’ve learned.“
Etc.
Try not to offend your friends by accusing them of non-consensual relationship or conversation habits. It’s a two-way street, and they may have been wrong in the past but as long as you can start from a certain agreement, there may be good enough will for you to go forward after having any amount of nonconsensual conversations in the past.
If this is someone you do not have the opportunity to begin a consensual conversation within the previous method, there are other methods to encourage this behavior without saying it straight out. You could tell them what it is you value in conversation, and especially how that informs your conversation style and preferences. Make sure you do indeed have a reason you are in the conversation. There is also a booklet to help you articulate your values.
No matter how things have become this way, the way forward is peaceful resolution.
Peaceful, strategic, and uncompromising.