It’s just absurd that this is being defended by anyone for any reason. Your intentions never matter — only the outcome of your actions. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to run you over with my car, but now you are maimed. I wasn’t paying attention to where you were standing because I’m driving around like an entitled fuck just trying to be approachable and friendly.” Who kisses a colleague they barely known on the back of the head and sniffs her hair? You know damned well that’s not appropriate behavior!

For the men who need this spelled out — do not touch your work colleagues or any woman you are not already in an intimately friendly relationship with your mouth — period! Do not touch them in a way that you would not touch a male colleague, unless you are already in an intimately friendly relationship. What you want in this situation (to be friendly or warm -or creepy and entitled) is irrelevant. What the other person wants is what matters. If you don’t known what she wants, ask her. “Can I give you a hug?”

What this situation illustrates is that men (of that era in particular) feel so entitled to female bodies that they have no idea that they are being inappropriate. That’s not an excuse any longer. Hands off, for god’s sakes!!!