Consent and Leadership 3: Bias and Awareness Gaps

Humans have many biases and awareness gaps (things they don't know they don't know). As leaders, our biases and awareness gaps come together to not only affect how we respond to issues around consent, but they can also impact who feels welcome in our spaces and organizations for years to come. 

In this workshop, we will practice identifying different types of bias, from cognitive to cultural, and after taking an honest look at the impact they've had on our spaces, we'll discuss how you can use your power as a leader to counter bias and create culture change. 

Who is the Consent and Leadership Series for?

Anyone in formal and informal positions of leadership who finds their work expanding to include issues around consent, such as ethics, interpersonal conflict, and harm. If you host events, teach, organize, manage, or supervise people; if you are just the one people go to when a problem around consent comes up; if you care about creating consensual spaces and have some power to influence others — then this series is for you. 

Meet your instructors, Consent Academy Co-directors Asha Lerae & Ariana Coveney:

Asha Lerae has been with Consent Academy since 2018, taking on the role of co-director in 2022. She brings years of experience as a sex educator, domestic violence support group facilitator, and advocate working with a wide variety of communities to strengthen consent culture. Her passion lies in using consent education to reduce harm, expand possibilities for pleasure and eroticism, support accountability, and inspire cultural change that balances autonomy with responsibility. In addition to her work with Consent Academy, Asha is an adjunct faculty member for the Sexuality Studies Certificate Program at Antioch University Seattle, a certified abortion doula, and a trained full-spectrum doula.

Ariana has been a part of Consent Academy since 2018. She is an ordained Shingon Buddhist Monk, with a background in psychology, linguistics, and education focusing on violence prevention. She has lived and worked all over the world doing grassroots activism for LGBTQ+ rights and domestic violence prevention. Her perspectives on harm reduction and accountability are based in her Buddhism and her Choctaw cultural heritage. 

What else should I know?

• This is an online class series via Zoom. Zoom link and instructions will be emailed the day before and 30 minutes before the workshop begins.
• Each workshop will be recorded for later viewing. The slides will also be made available.
• Class time is listed in Pacific Time. Use this time zone converter to see what time the class will be for you: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html
• Pay-What-You-Can tickets are open to anyone who needs them. Choose the ticket that is best for you.
• There are also a small number of discounted tickets available. If you are experiencing financial hardship, please inquire.
• Please let us know by email if you have any questions, access needs, or things that would aid in your learning: theconsentacademy@gmail.com

About Consent Academy:

Consent Academy is an educational collective founded in 2016 in Seattle, WA, currently with staff and volunteers all over the world. We believe consent is a part of everyday life, and its practice builds stronger, safer, and more connected communities. Our approach incorporates disciplines of psychology, sociology, public health, psychotherapy, and personal coaching to create a systemic view of how consent impacts everyone, from the bedroom to the boardroom. 

Consent Academy is a program of the Pan Eros Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization. All of our profits support our educational programming. For more information, visit us at www.consent.academy.