Consent is very important.
“No” is a complete sentence.
“No” is personal.
“No” is the assumed answer until a clear and willing “yes” is given. If you aren’t sure what the signal is, assume “no”, clarify if that was the correct interpretation. While you may politely enquire why “no”, you can’t push. Pushing to a “yes” is violating consent.
My “no” can stop you from affecting me, but it can’t stop you from not affecting me. For example, I can say “no” to you giving me a cup of coffee, but I can’t say “no” to you drinking your own coffee.
For more, take a look at our page “Consent – Fundamentally Easy” [LINK].