London's #ThisDoesntMeanYes Campaign Is Powerful

London's newest anti-rape campaign called "#ThisDoesntMeanYes" goes to show that women who sport trendy clothes aren't "asking for it," which is an excuse often heard from assaulters when a woman wearing clothing that can be interpreted as provocative gets raped. The #ThisDoesntMeanYes campaign was created by Rape Crisis London, an activist-aide group for women who have experienced sexual violence.

The images for the campaign show a variety of women wearing trendy items including short skirts, sheath dresses, crop tops and red lipstick, accompanied by the #ThisDoesntMeanYes hashtag. Some images received a more lengthy text overlay, with messages like, "A short skirt is not a yes. A red lip is not a yes. A wink is not a yes. A slow dance is not a yes. A walk home is not a yes. A drink back at mine is not a yes. A kiss on the sofa is not a yes."

Aside from simply pointing out the fact that a short skirt can't talk and therefore cannot say yes, the campaign points out that every woman should be allowed to express herself, whether that's through a dress with cut-outs or a turtleneck. And if one chooses to wear a dress with cut-outs, she shouldn't be assaulted or raped for it, and no one should blame her dress or behavior for it. The use of trendy, real-life clothes adds a modern, relatable component to this campaign that will hopefully provide some perspective the next time someone says she was "asking for it."

Images: ThisDoesntMeanYes.com, Emilia Rust/Instagram