Amy Gahran, “Stepping Off the Relationship Escalator: Uncommon Love and Life”

Form of explicit consent

Explicit consent need not feel unromantic or daunting. Done right, it can be another form of intimacy, or at least friendliness. It need not be an inquisition. It can simply be a conversation — ideally, an ongoing conversation, rooted in mutual appreciation and care, and revisited periodically.