Joe Biden’s “tactile” behavior towards some people isn’t shocking. There are multiple listicles that feature pictures of how Biden is an overly physically affectionate person, especially towards women. It’s part of his brand: the hugs, shoulder squeezes, kisses on the head and cheeks, nose rubbing. He believes it’s how he relates but, let’s make one thing clear the person he’s interacting with feels uncomfortable, then it’s certainly an invasion of personal space.

Biden should put more consideration into the personal boundaries of others, especially as a man who is often in a position of leadership. He should personally apologize to women who have shared uncomfortable interactions with him. His behavior isn’t excusable because it would undercut the experiences of the women who shared their awkward meetings with him. And the humor he demonstrated at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers event that makes light of his controversy is extremely concerning and suggests that he doesn’t quite understand the issue.

However, the sensational tone used by the media and online populace to talk about Biden’s behavior seems similar to how we discuss and denounce sexual assault of the #MeToo variety. It shouldn’t be the same.

As we discussed in a previous article, one of the major takeaways from the #MeToo movement is the “grey area” of acceptable social behavior. #MeToo is a major catalyst that shines a light on horrible and frequent cases of sexual assault, especially by men in power. These perpetrators have the intention to commit sexually motivated acts towards their victims for sexist, privileged reasons. And before #MeToo, most of these perpetrators got away with their actions. Thanks to this movement, there is more awareness surrounding this disgusting behavior across the globe. #MeToo was and still is critical to our society’s progress.

The Biden accusations are likely to hurt him more with young voters than old ones, which on the one hand still isn't great for Biden but on the other hand (since Twitter leans young) will increase the divide between what people on this platform think and the D electorate overall.

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) April 1, 2019

However, this movement demands us to take a hard look at consent and social behavior. And the truth is that consent and social behavior is not exactly black and white issues. They exist on a spectrum, dependent on what a person tolerates, interprets, and intends.

The controversy surrounding Biden’s behavior is an excellent example of this spectrum. Multiple women have come forward to share their awkward, creepy encounters with the previous vice president. Numerous women have also come out to share their heartfelt, personable encounters with the same man. We cannot diminish the accounts of the women who felt their personal spaces violated, and we cannot discount the women who appreciated the closeness he extends. The parameters of social interactions vary with each person. Biden should not be assuming that the parameters he holds would be the same as everyone he meets. As a leader, he must be conscious of bodily integrity because and what it means in modern leadership. In the end, his behavior is okay for some people and it isn’t for others.

In a medium post, Stephanie Carter says this viral screenshot capturing a moment between her and Joe Biden wasn't a #MeToo

"A still shot taken from a video — misleadingly extracted from what was a longer moment between close friends.. "

Read More: https://t.co/9GErf2HVcO pic.twitter.com/8aVVMBIZu9

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) April 1, 2019

The varying levels of tolerance for this behavior may be a generational matter as some have suggested. Regardless, this conversation about consent and social behavior is one we need to be having. The way that the media and the online masses is handling Biden’s controversy as a sensational scandal shows how our society really doesn’t know how to have this tricky conversation. This type of coverage depreciates the magnitude of rape, molestation, and assault because the language and tone being used to describe Biden put all these crimes and uncomfortable social behaviors in the same box. That’s not fair to either the victims of uncomfortable encounters and the victims of abuse.

And as our country parses through this discussion, we have a president who LITERALLY said how he can grab women by their genitalia and has numerous sexual assault allegations against him. Joe Biden is not perfect. But the alarm being sounded off on Biden does not compare to the foghorn that’s resounding for our sitting president.

Joe Biden will soon announce his run for the presidency. Everyone has been anticipating his entry into the crowded Democratic candidate race, so it isn’t really surprising. For many Americans, he is the best option to defeat Donald Trump. But now that it’s official, it is imperative to hold Biden accountable for how he physically interacts with women. Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement, summarizes how this controversy may even benefit Biden in a Twitter thread addressing the situation: “I honestly think this moment is a gift for Biden. It puts him in a position to do what so many of his peers and colleagues have not. Set an example: be accountable, be transparent and be proactive.” All the while, our society will continue to explore the grey area of consent.

Feature photo from Flickr by Marc Nozell