April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month: What is Consent?

The statistics for sexual assault remain constant. One in four women, and one in six men will have experienced some form of sexual abuse at some point in his or her life. These statistics represent the straight and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender communities alike, however a significant number of GLBT victims never report their sexual assault due to society's stigma against their sexual orientation. It is not easy for a man to come forward and admit he was sexually assaulted by another man. The same is true for lesbians who may feel they are betraying their sisterhood by admitting that women can be abusers.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness month, and this year Montrose Counseling Center is focusing on prevention, and more specifically, consent.

What is sexual assault? Experts often say that it's not about the sex but about power and control. And while that's true, sex offenders cross boundaries that are considered the most sacred in order to humiliate and shame their victim(s). This type of sexual assault is typically thought of as incest, molestation and rape.

Another form of sexual assault involves consent. There are circumstances in which consent cannot be given, even though both parties may think they are giving consent. This is the lesser-known form of sexual assault. This occurs when at least one member of the party is too young or too intoxicated to legally give consent to another person. In Texas, the legal age of consent is 17. Someone who is under the influence of drugs or able also is not able to give consent. Why is this important? If you engage in sexual activity with someone who is under the age of 17, or someone who is intoxicated, that person may turn around and contact authorities with a legitimate claim of sexual assault. You could be arrested, charged, and possibly convicted of a sex crime -- a crime that requires you to register as a sex offender for the rest of your life.

We recommend before you engage in ANY sexual activity that you get consent from your partner. Sex without consent is sexual assault. That doesn't mean you have to have a checklist and sign off on everything ahead of time. Most people who actively give and get consent report that their partner(s) not only appreciate it when they talk first, they also find it arousing. As things heat up in the bedroom, you could whisper in your partner's ear, "I really want to _______. Is that okay?" Don't worry about ruining the mood. Forcing someone to do something he or she doesn't want to do will ruin the mood. By getting and giving consent, you and your partner are not only building a healthy relationship, but communicating respect for one another.

Montrose Counseling Center has developed a prevention poster campaign that is geared toward individuals in the GLBT community who may not even realize their behavior constitutes sexual assault. To download a .pdf poster, please click on the image below.

Click images to print/download full-size PDF.

Discussing healthy relationships and how to give and get consent is part of a program introduced to HATCH youth this year. The youth pose anonymous questions to MCC's Anti-Violence Advocate, and their questions are answered in a "Dear Allie" notebook. HATCH youth participants have also signed a pledge not to engage in abusive behavior.



MCC also has created Consent is HOT! T-shirts.  If you would like to order one (available in two colors), check out Cafe Press.

If you feel that someone performed a sex act with you without your consent or if you have been sexually assaulted, Montrose Counseling Center is here for you. If you need someone to accompany you to the hospital for treatment after an assault, we can send a GLBT advocate to be with you, any time. The advocate also may help you if you want to report the assault to the police, but you do not have to report the crime in order to receive services. Call Gay & Lesbian Switchboard at 713.529.3211 to get in touch with the advocate, 24 hours a day. Services are available regardless of immigration status.

Even if it happened a long time ago, Montrose Counseling Center has support groups for Sexual Assault Survivors. Individual and couples counseling also is available. Call 713.529.0037 for more information about our counseling programs.

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HATCH Prom on Friday, June 12

The 17th Annual HATCH Prom, "Flashback to the 80s" will be held from 7 p.m. - midnight on Friday, June 12, in the Community Room of the GLBT Cultural Center, on the 1st floor of MCC. The prom is free for GLBT and questioning youth, and their allies, ages 13-20. Many don't attend their own high school dances because they fear teasing and physical abuse.

A special invitation is extended to GLBT adults who may not have had the chance to attend their own high school prom dressed as they wished or with a same-sex date. Anyone 21 or older may attend for a $25 donation.

If you are interested in sponsoring this event, please contact us by email or at 713.529.3590.

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SPRY Socials: Food, Entertainment, & Education

Are you 60 years or older and looking to build relationships with your peers? Upcoming SPRY Socials include potlucks, movie screenings, and trip to the International Festival.

For more information about upcoming SPRY Socials, click here.

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Continuing Education Classes: HIV/AIDS on April 17

Montrose Counseling Center's Continuing Education classes will feature HIV/AIDS on April 17. Classes take place in the GLBT Cultural Center on the 1st floor of MCC and are open to everyone. Continuing Education Units (CEU's) are available for LMSWs, LBSWs, LCDCs, and LPCs. Classes cost $10 per hour if prepaid. If not prepaid, there will be an additional $10 fee at the door.

Please call MCC's Education Department at 713.529.0037 for more information.

For more information about these classes and how to register for them, click here.