Coauthor of Yes Means Yes to Speak at Walk for Change
On April 22, thousands of people will gather at the BARCC Walk for Change. People of all ages, genders, backgrounds, and identities. People from throughout the Greater Boston area and beyond. What do they have in common? The passion to say #IBelieveYou to #MeToo and the vision to end sexual violence. Jaclyn Friedman is one of those people. Coauthor of the landmark book Yes Means Yes, Jaclyn will address the crowd and inspire you to take the next step in making this vision a reality.
A frank and powerful speaker, Jaclyn is an author, educator, and activist who helped popularize the concept of affirmative consent. As she recently wrote on Vox, “‘No means no’ is not enough, and only a freely given, enthusiastic ‘yes’ counts when it comes to sex. . . . The basic principle at the heart of affirmative consent is simple: We’re each responsible for making sure our sex partners are actually into whatever is happening between us.”
Jaclyn’s latest book, Unscrewed: Women, Sex, Power and How to Stop Letting the System Screw Us All, shares the name of her podcast Unscrewed, which has been recommended to listeners by Marie Claire and Esquire magazines. Jaclyn, a survivor of sexual assault herself, is especially passionate about transforming the systems and institutions in our culture that have enabled sexual violence to persist.
“Now is the time to turn the dialogue around #MeToo into action, and the BARCC Walk for Change is the perfect place to start,” said Jaclyn. “I’m really looking forward to coming together with and for survivors—and supporting and inspiring our communities to change the culture.” As part of her involvement with the Walk for Change, Jaclyn will join the top Walk fundraisers for a luncheon to celebrate their accomplishments and their generous support of BARCC.
“Jaclyn is a vital voice in this cultural moment,” said BARCC Executive Director Gina Scaramella. “We’re trying to move the national conversation to how each of us can take steps to prevent sexual violence, truly support survivors and communities, and make change on a systemic level. The Walk is an opportunity to celebrate the ways we’re already doing that—and get revved up for all the ways we will continue to do that. We’re excited Jaclyn will be sharing her voice and perspective with the crowd at the Walk. It’s going to be an energizing and inspiring day!”
