The civil lawsuit a young woman recently filed against Cornell University and seven fraternity members, alleging sexual abuse two years ago, has jolted the nation.⁠ ⁠ The case of “Jane Doe” has also reignited America’s debate about sexual consent. At its center is a decadeslong legal fight over how to define and adjudicate it—often among young adults, like those at Cornell, in the murk of encounters accompanied by alcohol and drugs.⁠ ⁠ In New York, where Cornell is based, Gov. Kathy Hochul is demanding that legislators close the so-called voluntary-intoxication loophole—a provision critics say lets perpetrators prey on individuals like Jane Doe without consequence if the victim knowingly drank or used drugs.⁠ ⁠ “If someone is too intoxicated to consent, it should not matter whether they chose to use drugs or alcohol,” Hochul told reporters. “Voluntary intoxication is not a license for sexual assault or gang rape. Period.”⁠ ⁠ The debate over consent has raged for years, shaped by wider ...