REGINA — Don’t let festival season start on the wrong note: practise consent.
This week, Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan is launching a new animated short as part of their #AskForIt Consent Campaign – Festival Foul Play – with funding from the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA).
Using humour and levity, Festival Foul Play teaches viewers about the importance of consent while consuming intoxicants.
Here’s the scene: an animated beaver and goose are dancing and drinking at a music festival when along comes a fox with less-than-good intentions. Through puns and bystander intervention, the fox’s sexual harassment is stopped, and he slinks away. The message is clear – enjoy the refreshing drinks, enjoy the stellar music, and keep it fun and sexy by practising consent.
For nearly three years, the #AskForIt Consent Campaign has taken a light-hearted approach to show how we all have a role to play in preventing sexual violence. The campaign aims to spark conversations about safe drinking cultures across Saskatchewan by emphasizing the importance of asking for consent and bystander intervention.
The campaign reclaims the phrase “asking for it” – a term with a long history of blaming individuals who have experienced sexual violence. Instead, the #AskForIt campaign turns the expression on its head, giving it new meaning by putting the onus on individuals initiating sexual activity to ask for and receive informed consent.
“Consent can be given when sober, awake, and without pressure or threats. Consent is ongoing and can be revoked at any time. If someone is intoxicated, they can’t give consent,” says Tal Marsolais, Communications and Community Outreach Specialist for Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan. “Cowboy boots while riding are optional, consent is mandatory.”
Watch Festival Foul Play, keep an eye out for new #AskForIt videos coming this summer, learn more about sexual consent and intoxication, and request posters and drink coasters at AskingForIt.ca.
