Actress Emily Atack has announced she is expecting a baby boy and hopes he will benefit from her campaign to change the law on sexual consent. The 34-year-old, who is six months pregnant, revealed the gender during an interview with BBC Breakfast on Tuesday.
Atack is calling for the law to recognise 'affirmative consent', which requires both parties to give clear and enthusiastic agreement before sex. She said she wants her son 'to be on the right side of history' and plans to encourage him to be open about consent as he grows up.
The actress, best known for playing Charlotte Hinchcliffe in The Inbetweeners, launched her 'I'm Asking for It' campaign in partnership with Right to Equality on Monday. She argued that current rape and sexual offence laws place too much burden on victims to prove they did not consent.
'It may not be the perfect solution but we want to flip it around and say, we're going to make this much easier - did that person say yes?' Atack told BBC Breakfast. She also called for improved sex education in schools, involving 'boys and girls talking together'.
Atack rose to fame at 17 and later faced unwanted sexualisation online. Last year, she explored her experiences of sexual harassment in the BBC documentary Emily Atack: Asking For It? She said she received abuse on social media after launching the campaign but stressed it is not 'a male bashing crusade'.
