Give 17 year olds the right to sexual consent in California!

Sign this petition to push California to join countless other parts of the world in giving 17 year olds the right to their own bodies! Come the age of 17, the age one is legally able to drive, become emancipated and live on their own, get a well paying job, see an R rated movie alone, purchase a rated M for Mature video game, they are still not allowed to give sexual consent. Many individuals who are 17, are in relationships with those older than them, usually by a year, or two. By law, if a 17 year old engages in a relationship with an adult, it's viewed as statutory rape. There aren't even laws protecting those who are within acceptable years of age, (usually within 2-4 years age difference) which most other states have. For those who are 17, having a relationship with someone only a year or two older than them, they cannot legally engage in sexual acts, or acts of love, whether that relationship is heterosexual, or homosexual. This law is unnecessary, and puts heavy amounts of stress and worry onto those in the relationship, and those around them. If an individual has reached 17 years of age, they know who to give sexual consent to, and why. If a 17 year old can legally be emancipated, and live on their own, then why can't they legally do something as simple as give consent to someone they want to engage in sexual acts with? Should the sexual aspect of a relationship between a 17 year old, and an 18 or 19 year old (or perhaps even older) be viewed as "rape" and "illegal"? Is it truly anyone else's business if the minor is willingly giving legal consent? Sexual acts between a 17 year old and an 18-20 year old can have the adult facing one year of jail time, or a very large fine. A whole year or large fine for having sex with a 17 year old who gave you their consent? The age of 17 is the legal age of consent in New York, Illinois, Texas, Colorado, Louisiana, Missouri, Maine, and Indiana. A vast majority of the rest of the states, 33 of them, have set the age of consent as 16, leaving only 11 states that still have the age of consent set at 18. A whole 78% of our country believes that a 17 year old is old enough to give sexual consent. After all, it only makes sense. Other places such as Canada, Spain, Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Montenegro, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Iceland, Monaco,Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Finland, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Northern Cyprus, Cyprus, Norway, Russia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Ireland (to name just a few) all believe that a 17 year old is able to give sexual consent, and should have the basic human right to engage in sexual activities. When one thinks about it, California and the other ten states in the U.S. are one of the only places in the world that still have the age of consent set at 18, while almost everywhere else knows better. If one is so worried that a 17 year old needs to have that extra protection in case of rape, a law could be passed which offers increased protection for those who have reached the age of consent, but are still minors, for example by enacting laws which stipulate that it is illegal to engage in sexual acts with such minors under exploitative circumstances (such laws exist i.e. Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Portugal, Spain). Join the battle for basic human rights to be given to those the age of 17! Is a 17 year old who already has so many legal rights and abilities, not mature enough to decide who to give sexual consent to? The answer is yes, they are mature and responsible enough to make that decision! Sign this petition to push California to join countless other parts of the world in giving 17 year olds the right to their own bodies, regardless of gender and sexual orientation!