<p>Consent is a vital component of all sexual encounters, and when absent, can result in the perpetration of harmful sexual behaviours (e.g., sexual assault). Ideally, the concepts of consent and sexual assault are applied appropriately to all persons, irrespective of personal characteristics. However, this may not be the case. The objective of this study was to examine whether public perceptions of consent and sexual assault differ based on participant gender and rape myth acceptance, as well as the sexual orientation of the individuals in various sexual encounter vignettes. The results of this study suggest that, generally, the public can accurately identify sexual consent and sexual assault. Little evidence to suggest that these concepts are perceived differently in heterosexual versus homosexual encounters was found. However, male participants with high rape myth acceptance perceived obvious and ambiguous non-consensual scenarios as significantly more consensual and less representative of a sexual assault. Implications of the study findings are discussed in terms of their applications to Canadian law and sexual education and directions for future research.</p>