I posting this here because I don't want to co-opt the discourse that women are sharing (and it is an important conversation to have), but I just wanted to share from my perspective.

Harassment at the workplace. Men are expected to enjoy attention for women, so when they get it, the attitude is 'they should be so lucky'. I worked a place where a new male temp got a lot of attention from the ladies on the assembly line, and the ladies all had a good laugh. When he left work and reported the harassment, everybody (men and women) complained about him upsetting those he had accused (and those who had freely admitted to what they did because they didn't think there was anything wrong with it).

This kind of sexual harassment goes beyond simply unwanted sexual attention (which I received from several woman--not that I'm all that--I'm not--but even average guys gets unwanted attention from women, and they are expected to be even happier because they aren't 8's or 10s). There is also the matter of sexual rumours women pass along about men. I had one female co-worker tell another female co-work whom I had made a date with that I was a rapist. Why? I have no clue. I have never touched a woman without consent in my life, and I had never so much as spoken a word to the accuser. I got stood up and only found out about the reasons why the following Monday because the accuser was so 'proud' of 'rescuing' her co-worker from a 'predator' that she boasted of it to her co-workers (who in turn told me).

Sexual assault: I was also sexually assaulted by a particularly unattractive women. I had worked an afternoon shift for somebody on a Friday (3:00-1:00 with over time) only to come in for day shift the next day (5:00-1:00---I realize legally this is not supposed to take place because there is supposed to be a certain amount of time between shifts, but it was an oversight at work). I went out to play ball with some friends that afternoon then went out for dinner and drinks with a friend afterwards (I was the DD). He brought his fiancee, and she brought a 'friend' for me to meet. No offense to her, but she was franky not attractive in my eyes and I wanted nothing to do with her sexually. She was flirty all night and I was polite/friendly back, but did not encourage her. When we got back to my friends house, he offered to let me stay the night because I was sleep deprived at that point. He and his fiancee went back to his room and he set up a couple of sleeping bags in a spare room for me and his fiancee's friend. I opted to stay in the living room watching TV and planned to sleep on the couch because I didn't want to sleep next to this girl. She decided to 'watch TV too'. I fell asleep, and the next thing I know I wake up and I'm in the spare room and she's riding me without a condom. I gave her the benefit of the doubt that I had, in my sleep-deprived stupor made some response that she interpreted as consent (after all, how did I even get in that room?), and for fear of 'hurting her feelings' (that was my thinking in that moment, fool that I was) I feigned an orgams and turned over and went to sleep.

I was violated, exposed to potential disease (none thankfully) and exposed to potentially impregnating a woman I wanted nothing to do with (thankfully as well, that did not happen).

I never called or spoke with her after that (though she actually tried adding me to FB years later). I also never hung out with my friend afterwards because his fiancee refused to let him hang out with me after I 'used her friend for sex'. So this assault cost me a friendship as well.

When I tell that story, people's first response is generally to laugh. Amy Schumer tells a similar story as part of her stand-up routine and women generally think it is hilarious. It's not.

I wasn't 'emotionally scarred' as some victims are; it is easy for me to talk about and I can even laugh about it to a degree (I used to laugh when I told the story, because that is what is expected and it was how I coped). However, there are many (as many as 1/6) boys who are victimized when young who aren't as lucky.

Harvey Weinstein is a giant asshole, which goes without saying, but this kind of behaviour is about power. And though victims may more often be female, this is not a gender issue.

My thoughts and support go out to female victims, but male victims as well, and I know the experience can often be more terrifying for women and more common, so I do not want to take away from that. But I feel in this forum, I can add the experiences that men go through without 'hijacking' their conversation (which I do wish had been more inclusive).

I'm glad to see guys like Terry Crews and Corey Feldman stepping forward with their stories. There are predators in Hollywood and all over, and they don't always care what you have between your legs: they just want to assert their power.

Me too.