At George Mason University in Virginia, former Vice President Joe Biden delivered a speech in early April about sexual assault in college campuses. April was sexual assault awareness month, but Biden had expressed his thoughts repeatedly throughout the year. “A woman who’s dead drunk cannot consent,” Biden explained. “You are raping her. You are raping her … I really mean this, we’ve got to talk about this. Consent requires affirmative consent. And if you’re too drunk to be able to consent, it is not consent.”

The audience applauded and many stood holding their signs saying, “It’s On Us”, which originated from Obama’s campaign in 2014 and symbolizes an awareness to help put an end to sexual assault on college campuses. One in five women has been sexually assaulted throughout their college years. Out of all sexual assault cases, only 12 percent are reported.

Biden expressed that any man who takes advantage of a woman is a “coward,” and he stressed for anyone listening to “speak up” and “take the pledge” to change the culture of campus rape. “You cannot let that kind of talk be bred on the college campus. You’ve got to do what I’ve done, what my father taught me. Turn and say, you’re a horse tail. Only a little more graphic,” Biden said.

Biden also brought up  that regardless of what a woman wears or if she is drunk or not, “that isn’t a reason to excuse rape.”

“You’ve got to have something on this campus, where there is a place to go. Where there are people professionally trained to know not to ask questions like, what were you wearing? Were you drunk?” Biden said.

Cast member, Alisha Boe, from popular netflix series, “13 Reasons Why” spoke on the topic as well. “We want the survivors in the room today to know that your voice matters, your story is important, and your truth is real.You are never, ever, ever alone.”

In the middle of Biden’s speech he portrayed an example of what could happen at this very moment, but what should not be done.

“A young woman standing here could take all her clothes off and walk right out the door. She can be arrested for indecent exposure, but no man has a right to lay a hand on her at all.. none, none, none.”