An Inclusive Litany

6/8/95

Being touchy-feely isn't what it used to be. When some female members of Great Britain's Green Party became uncomfortable when offered congratulatory or supportive hugs from male party members, they worried that the men would feel "lonely, confused, and rejected" if they turned them down. So the party started workshops detailing the three acceptable forms of hugging. They are: the side by side (hand on shoulder is the only body contact allowed), the frontal (hands on shoulders and an object must separate the bodies), and from behind (the huggee must be specifically asked, "Do you want a hug?" and the only body contact allowed is, again, hands on shoulders).