I never thought that what had happened was assault until very recently. I don't know why. Anyway, I was 24 years old working as a professional with an older male client. He was 80. At the end of our meeting, he made as if to hug me, which was not uncommon for my older male clients and I usually did hug them back then. In general they were just wanting grandpa-like hugs. This man kissed me, stuck his tongue in my mouth, and held me tight until I was able to pull away. My colleagues, mostly men, said, "You can't blame an old guy for trying."

In the past, I always felt like given the horrible things that happened to other people, being forced to kiss an 80 year old man wasn't worth complaining about. It was assault, though. I get that now.