I’m definitely not pretending I come off looking great in this piece. I’m trying to be honest about my experience and my thought processes.

I’m raising a daughter with the understanding that she deserves (and should aim to give) clear affirmative consent with check-ins. This matters whether it’s sex or it’s preschool hand-holding/tickling. But my generation didn’t get that lesson, and it’s taken a lot of unpacking for people of all genders to figure out what the hell we’ve been through and how to go forward.