Nearly that exact scenario has happened to me. Multiple times: in bars, people hounding me playing a non-consensual game of grabass. In a crowded bus, a guy continually rubbed his hand against my hand despite my trying to move away and escape him.
That's bad, and you're a bad person if you think it's acceptable. Comparing "being mean to people online" to sexual assault is ridiculous and offensive.
That's cute, honey. Why don't you leave the real talk to us men?
I hope you see my point, but to make it more clear: boundaries are boundaries, and disrespect is disrespect.
You are making an argument about magnitude, and I am making an argument about conflict.
Now I'm going to break a rule about respecting victims, and I hope you respect that it's for the purposes of argument:
>In a crowded bus, a guy continually rubbed his hand against my hand despite my trying to move away and escape him.
So shout at him. Lay into him like you're laying into me ("you're a bad person if you think it's acceptable"--as if I even said such a thing!) and make it devastatingly clear that you won't stand for it.
You don't owe anything to the status quo, the peace of mind of other people on the bus, the rules of decorum, _anything._
It's not a solution because it's unrealistic due to inherited gender roles blah blah (and don't lay into me about _that_, Ms. "you boys"), but I really wish more women were just _loud_ about things like this.
I _like_ loud women.
Just because you like loud women doesn't mean they should be so. Quiet women exist and are totally cool. They shouldn't be assaulted either.
Don't talk down to me.
>Now, don't skip that scenario: I want you to stop and think about it in detail. How would it make you feel? Do you feel turned on? Do you feel violated?
I take control of the situation by removing myself from the situation or making a scene. And I get over it.
Look, I'm queer and I'm actually pretty sympathetic to the anti-seddit et al crowd.
But the notion that I'm supposed to care about every person's feelings around me is nonsensical. It's exactly the kind of sentiment that you're violating by lecturing your audience. You're _deliberately_ provoking an uncomfortable reaction and prioritizing your own emotions above those of others.
And I'm going to tell you to shove off, and get over it.
This isn't about rape, the violent action and definable crime. It's about communication in a social space. And you can't communicate if you can't aggress, as you have _just demonstrated_.