I appreciate your sharing.

And I agree that consent and coercion pervade many different areas of a couple’s lives. It’s the way one partner expresses their anger through hostility or derision. It’s the way one partner is shamed for their desires, while the other is elevated for theirs. It’s the way one partner is informed of a list of their flaws when they try to back out or say no to something that’s not working for them.

It’s the way that the more powerful partner uses their power to get what they want, without being interested in what their partner wants.