ABSTRACT
This chapter examines resisters’ discourses around sexual harassment and assault, which centered on concerns about “false” accusations. The majority of focus group men distanced themselves from “other” men, who they labeled as perpetrators. They minimized the negative impact of sexual assault by seeing it as equal in harm to “false” accusations, questioned its prevalence, and emphasized the importance of the assault of men. In doing so, they avoided taking responsibility for sexual assault as a social problem. In a context in which women are affirming their right to self-determination through speaking out about sexual harassment and assault, resisters’ concerns reflect an attempt to reassert their dominance. Resisters pushed back against social and cultural changes resulting from the gender revolution. Additionally, this chapter considers the views of a quarter of the focus group women, who fused some traditional perspectives with innovative views. Although not classified as resisters because they blended skepticism with an endorsement of affirmative consent and appreciation for #MeToo, these women expressed some level of skepticism about the movement. The gender revolution is very much in progress, and even those who support its ideology can hold onto traditional ideas.
