A sexuality expert, Deanne Carson, has claimed that parents should ask babies for permission before changing their diapers.
According to Carson, this practice can help foster a “culture of consent” from an early age . The idea is not about obtaining literal consent from infants but rather teaching children about bodily autonomy and respect through consistent, symbolic gestures
Deanne Carson left viewers of ABC baffled during an interview in 2018 after the “sexuality educator, speaker and author,” according to her social media bio, explained her reasons for why parents should ask for permission.
While Carson acknowledged that babies are not able to give verbal permission, she said that could be compensated for by making sure there is an eye contract.
In a section of the interview that focused on consent laws, she said: “We work with children from the age of three. We work with parents from birth.”
The reporter then asked in a confused tone: “From birth?”
“Yeah, just about how to create a culture of consent in their homes, so ‘I’m going to change your diaper right now, is that okay?’”
Carson continued: “But if you leave a space and you wait for body language and you wait for eye contact, then you’re letting that child know that their response matters.”
Many viewers were left confused and commented on the incident, with one user saying: “So clearly not an expert.”
A second wrote: “How could a baby refuse consent?”
Shortly after the interview, Carson responded in a statement on Facebook, saying: “Sadly, some people have chosen to ridicule me (oh no! Pink hair! Must be a lesbian!) and the idea of giving infants bodily autonomy (poop in diapers, har har, am I right?).
“The work we do with children, teachers and parents is international best practice in abuse prevention.”
Many viewers seemed confused by her suggestion with Twitter users saying “If this doesn’t qualify for Lefty Lunacy…”