Male Celebrities are dropping like Flies. Since Rose McGowan accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault, new accusations have popped up all over the place. Kevin Spacey, Brett Ratner and Bill O’Reilly are just a few of the names being brought up. Smart money says this problem is more widespread than it appears, even with Alyssa Milano’s #MeToo movement shining some light. Even though sexually harassing someone is the easiest thing in the world to avoid, I’ve made a guide. A few simple steps to keep even the dumbest people from doing harm.
Don’t dip your pen in company ink
Despite this phrase having its own pitfalls, the meaning is clear and helpful. Don’t hook up at work. By keeping your personal and work life separate you can guarantee that you won’t misinterpret any office banter for flirting. One of the many mistakes that Harvey Weinstein made was using his power at work to coerce women. No one should ever feel like their job depends on their sexuality. Ever.
Keep your hands to yourself
Don’t touch someone who doesn’t ask to be touched. Super simple stuff. Ben Affleck is a perfect example of a guy who should have just kept his hands to himself. I can think of exactly zero reasons to touch a woman’s breasts without her prior permission.
Zero. Even Terry Crews has come forward to say he's been groped. No one has ever asked to be groped. If what you are doing could be defined as groping, you need to reconsider doing it.
Treat everyone with respect
It’s really not that tough to be a considerate human being. This means being polite to people’s faces and not talking when their backs are turned.
Saying disgusting things behind closed doors isn’t “locker room banter” it’s stage-setting. All you’re doing (Mr. President) is telling the whole world that you have no respect for women. Stop it. I’m not saying everyone who jokes about sexual assault is a rapist. But I am saying that all rapists probably joke about sexual assault.
Get it?
No “yes” means no
Finally and most importantly is affirmative consent. It's not just that "No" means no. It's also a lack of "yes" means no. There are a lot of times that a person is not in the position to say "yes." If a person is not old enough, they cannot consent (Tyler Grasham). If a person is unconscious, they cannot consent (Bill Cosby). If you never ask a person, they cannot consent (David Mueller). It troubles me deeply that there is this much to write about regarding sexual assault. Hopefully, as light is shone on the seedy underbelly of Hollywood, the rest of the world can take note and adjust any inappropriate behavior.
