(026) Perceptions of Sexual Consent for Diverse Sexual Orientation and Gender Identities

Abstract

Abstract Introduction The literature has not examined the perceived differences of sexual consent across people of diverse social groups in great depth. Objectives This study explored how sexual consent communication is perceived for people across various gender identities and sexual orientations. Methods College students were recruited to participate in a survey by which they were asked to respond to a cisgender, heterosexual version or a sexual minority version of vignettes based on ambiguous sexual consent themes. Participants were asked to identify the degree to which they believed the sexual encounters in the vignettes were consensual, the degree by which the aggressors consented to the sexual encounters, and the degree by which the victims consented to the sexual encounters. Results The study findings indicate that five of the sixteen vignette themes showed statistically significant differences in participant perception. Participants perceived the retraction of sexual consent theme differently between the cisgender, heterosexual and sexual minority vignette version, in that the sexual minority characters (gay) were perceived to have consented at a higher degree than the cisgender, heterosexual characters. In looking at the characters in the aggressor role in the vignettes, the cisgender, heterosexual characters were perceived to have consented to the sexual scenarios at a higher degree than characters of sexual minority groups in the emotional dysregulation (male to female transgender), retraction of sexual consent (gay), bribe or blackmail (lesbian), and rape fantasy (queer) themes. In looking at the characters in the victim role in the vignettes, the character of a sexual minority group (questioning sexual orientation) in the fully consensual theme was perceived to have consented at a higher degree than the cisgender, heterosexual character. Conclusions College students’ expectations of sexual consent communication may differ depending on the sexual orientation and gender identities of the individuals involved. Self-identification with a particular social group may indicate a higher expectancy for that group to communicate sexual consent with less ambiguity. Disclosure No.