Harrassment Definition

Q: Even a conversation between two men (for the sake of argument) in private that says some off-color remark about women that is to be heard by no one other than the intended listener and is heard by a passing woman and she is (Gos forbid) offended is sexual harrassment? A hostile environment and sexual harrassment do not go hand in hand. Let's look at the literal definition (I'll get to the legal definition in a second). Sexual harrassment includes "sexual advances in the workplace, esp. from a superior, and with the implication that acceptance is necessary for job security, promotion, etc." The key word is sexual. Sexual is defined as "of or involving sex, the two sexes, or sexual organs." True, unwanted pinches and grabs could constitute a hostile environment, but not sexual harrassment.

A: Do you know what the legal definition of sexual harassment is? IMO, you don't appear to. If you want to argue about what is sexual harassment in general and not legally, that's fine. But you appear to insist on a legal definition while not being aware of the "hostile environment" part of the legal definition. I don't know. I know that I don't mind people disagreeing with me about lesbigay issues, for example. I would mind a group of people following me into my office and lab and insulting me. I would mind people leaving nasty homophobic letters on my desk. I would mind receiving calls on my telephone or my office, lab, or apartment being picketed. As far as the hate rally that says that all queers should die, I understand that's protected speech. That seems simple enough to me. I don't like it, I can either avoid the rally or get together with other people and stage a counter-rally. That seems (imo) quite distant from the situation where a gay high school student is repeatedly subjected to slurs, nasty comments, followed by a group of students calling him names, etc. How does he avoid that? To me, it seems you're equating the two, as if a parade of the KKK past your home is the same as the KKK stalking you.

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