I’m still unclear on what to do when a female co-worker makes sex jokes or sexual comments at work. As men, we’ve been taught repeatedly that even mentioning sex around women co-workers is absolutely verboten. Fine, whatever. I don’t need to talk about sex at work even care to. I honestly am not all broken up over the restriction.

That said, sex jokes don’t bother me or offend me. Sex is part of human life. That most people are deathly afraid of sexuality is not my problem. When a woman tells sex jokes and makes sexual comments at work, is it suddenly ok? There seems to be a bit of hypocrisy here. I guess it’s because women are perceived as non-threatening.

Anyway, should I laugh? Pretend like I didn’t hear it? Certainly I should add nothing because that would be unwise. I have no interest in correcting someone who is not offending me or hurting anyone else, so that’s not a real option. I feel like the best path is to just have no reaction at all, which I am extremely good at anyway. I’ve spent most of my life not reacting to things so I am a master at that.

I’ve been around more women who have made sex jokes at work than men, for the curious. Partially because I tend to hang around women more but also because they do it more because they can get away with it and most men know they can’t.