09/30/2026
This is not a women’s problem.
It’s a men’s problem.
And for a lot of us, it’s a father problem.
When situations like the Cornell Seven come up, I notice the same thing every time.
Women talk about it. Women share it. Women warn each other. Women have the uncomfortable conversations.
And men are often silent.
That silence is part of the problem.
We cannot expect young men to understand consent, boundaries, respect and accountability if the men raising them aren’t willing to talk about it.
We don’t teach them anything by brushing past these conversations and hoping they somehow figure it out.
Women are our equals.
You do not get to make decisions for another person. You do not get to pressure, manipulate, intimidate or assume. Someone else’s body is not yours to negotiate access to.
Consent needs to be talked about openly.
Fathers need to talk to their sons.
Coaches need to talk to their players.
Men need to talk to other men.
And we need to teach young men that masculinity isn’t about control or conquest.
Being a good man means respecting someone’s boundaries even when the answer isn’t the one you wanted.
It means understanding that silence is not permission.
Pressure is not consent.
Intoxication is not consent.
And another human being never owes you access to their body.
As fathers, we spend years teaching our sons how to work, compete, stand up for themselves and become successful.
We also need to teach them how to become safe, respectful men.
Men who understand boundaries.
Men who hold their friends accountable.
Men who understand that strength includes respect and responsibility.
Because if men only start talking about consent after something terrible happens, we are already too late.
This conversation belongs to us too.
Especially fathers.
