They gathered in the shadow of the statehouse, holding signs and chanting. It's a rally in support of the so called 'Yes Means Yes bill,’ proposed legislation that aims to clarify what consent is on college campuses.
"It's nothing complicated, it just tells schools in those instances where an individual was not able to consent because they were incapable, that there was not consent," said Delegate Marice Morales.
The Democrat representing District 19 is sponsoring the bill. She wants all Maryland colleges and universities to update their sexual misconduct policies to include a section clearly defining affirmative consent.
"Most institutions have some form of definition for consent, however this bill would outline situations where there could not have been active consent," Morales said.
Meaning there has to be a yes.
"So if someone is silent, if they're being coerced into having sex, if they are intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, or otherwise scared because of an unequal power dynamic like a R.A. and a student, or a teacher and a student, that doesn't constitute consent," Johns Hopkins University senior, Ella Rogers-Fett said.
Rogers-Fett was one of a handful of sexual assault survivors at the event.
Johns Hopkins is one of four Maryland schools currently being investigated by the feds for potentially mishandling sexual violence cases. The university adopted an affirmative consent standard this fall, but many say it's time for this to be the norm across the state.
"I hear every day, every week, stories of survivors on my campus that have not been getting the treatment that they deserve, they have not been getting the justice they deserve," Rogers-Fett said.
One in five women are sexually assaulted during their time in college. The statistic got national attention Sunday night after Vice President Joe Biden talked about the White House’s ‘It’s On Us’ campaign at the Oscars.
He was followed by an emotional and powerful performance by Lady Gaga. She sang her nominated song about sexual assault while surrounded by dozens of survivors.
Advocates hope the national attention helps convince Maryland lawmakers to take action.
House Bill 1142 goes before the House Judiciary Committee for a hearing on March 8.
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