In Society And In Law, Definition Of Consent Is A Gray Area

With every new allegation of sexual misconduct, Harvey Weinstein says the same thing: He denies any nonconsensual sex.

But what IS consent? It's perhaps the central concept in the criminal law governing sexual assault, and yet there is no consensus definition — in our culture, or in our laws, which vary widely state by state.

Is consent a clear 'yes,' or is it the absence of 'no'? Can it be revoked, and do power dynamics come into play? Advocates for victims hope the current "reckoning" over sexual misconduct will spur legislators to develop more sophisticated, nuanced definitions of consent — and more uniform laws.