Sex & Consent

POV you’re having a difficult interaction with a guy about gendered violence when you suddenly reach a fork in the road …  Do you shut the conversation down, call him an idiot and walk away – or do you engage him in a meaningful conversation that might help steer him in the right direction? Well, in our view, it depends: how close or far is he from being an ally?  In this episode, we unpack our ap...

We often talk about sexual consent in the dating world – but does sexual coercion happen in relationships too? Short answer: absolutely.  In this episode, Mardi and Lizzy unpack how sexual coercion can play out in healthy relationships and in abusive relationships, and the factors that often drive cis men’s decision to coerce their women partners (including patriarchal beliefs and supporting tradi...

Between moving houses, relocating interstate and months of overseas travel, we've taken a little break – and will return to recording later in the year. As always, thank you for listening to the Sex & Consent podcast. We look forward to hopping back on the mic for you soon. Love you, Mardi and Lizzy

Like many teenagers, Megan got drunk at a house party when she was 17. When a friend offered to help sober her up in a bedroom, he instead coerced and sexually assaulted her.  After opening up about it, Megan and her parents agreed to blame the incident on her drunkenness and the topic stayed dormant for years – until #MeToo erupted. In this episode, we unpack Megan’s reckoning with her assault, h...

We all have a story to tell.  In our Storytelling Mini-Series, you’ll hear everyday people’s stories of sexual consent, coercion, misogyny and patriarchy – which Mardi and Lizzy unpack together. In this episode, Lexi* shares her story of going home with someone she vibed with – only to be confronted with his slut-shaming, dismissiveness and a complete disregard for consent when they got...

Does the justice system really serve victim-survivors? Are all people who rape held accountable? How does rape culture intersect with the justice system? Join us as we unpack the reality of sexual violence statistics, how the criminal justice system fails victim-survivors and advantages perpetrators, and why rape myths are so important to bust. If this episode brings anything up for you, you can c...

Josh is a 45-year-old dad who works for himself, is devoted to his young sons and who transitioned at the age of 40. With the unique experience of living in the world presenting as a woman and as a trans man, Josh shares his story of coming to know who he is, the process of medically transitioning and what it’s like to live truly as himself. This episode discusses topics like trans gender identity...

We all have a story to tell. In our Storytelling Mini-Series, you’ll hear everyday people’s stories of sexual consent, coercion, misogyny, patriarchy and more – which Mardi and Lizzy unpack together. In this episode, Claire looks back on a series of problematic sexual experiences from her teens and 20s. With help from Claire’s eloquent storytelling, we connect her encounters with coercion, rape cu...

The US Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe vs Wade will impact millions of people who need an abortion – but some voices are missing in the uproar, while others are busy touting gun rights. In this episode, Mardi and Lizzy explore: What the Roe vs Wade ruling means for people who can get pregnant in the US Abortion rights in so-called Australia The absence of cis men's voices in the abortion conver...

We all have a story to tell.  In our Storytelling Mini-Series, you’ll hear everyday people’s stories of sexual consent, coercion, misogyny, patriarchy and more – which Mardi and Lizzy will then unpack together. In this episode, Louise* shares her story of a nightmare housemate who turned on her when she rejected his sexual advances. We look at the ways he punishes Louise* through a framework...

We all have a story to tell.  In our Storytelling Mini-Series, you’ll hear everyday people’s stories of sexual consent, coercion, misogyny, patriarchy and more – which Mardi and Lizzy will then unpack together.   In this episode, Anna* shares an experience of sexual coercion. From this story, we pull back the layers of coercion, male fragility, victim-blaming and protection of people who...

In the sixth and final episode of our Consent & Coercion 101 series, we take a look at masculinity and men’s involvement in sexual violence (yeah not all men, we know). We get across the current context of male-perpetrated coercion and sexual violence in Australia, the social factors that contribute to this, what people mean by male entitlement, patriarchal (sometimes called toxic) masculinity...

In the fifth episode of our Consent & Coercion 101 series, we dive into the *really* interesting research that inspired Mardi’s PhD on sexual coercion. This includes two epic bits of research that debunk the ‘miscommunication theory’ (the theory that date rape is merely a result of men and women “not understanding each other”) and proof that, actually, men do know how to do consent – even when...

In the fourth episode of our Consent & Coercion 101 series, we show you what rape culture looks like. Tune in as we explore definitions of rape culture, how rape culture manifests in our everyday lives, how rape culture impacts survivors of sexual assault, and examples of rape myths and where they show up. If this episode brings anything up for you, you can contact 1800RESPECT or check out the...

In the third episode of our Consent & Coercion 101 series, take our hand as we step inside the patriarchy (oh wait, we’re already in it).  Tune in as we discuss definitions of the patriarchy, how to spot the patriarchy in your everyday life, and how the patriarchy impacts women, non-binary/gender-diverse folk and men. If this episode brings anything up for you, you can contact 1800RESPECT...

In the second episode of our Consent & Coercion 101 series, we’re talking about consent, baby. Tune in as we discuss outdated views of consent, today’s affirmative consent model, what consent and non-consent look like, consent as a process, and the nuance between consent and *willingness* to have sex (something that comes up in relationships). If this episode brings anything up for you, you ca...

In the first episode of our Consent & Coercion 101 series, we dive deep into the topic of Mardi’s PhD thesis: everyday coercion – that is, the way that sexual coercion has been normalised in heterosexual sex.  Tune in as we explore sexual coercion broadly, the tactics that people (mainly blokes) use to turn a ‘no’ into a ‘yes’, the connection between coercion and rape, and some of the bes...