Don't be too sure. History is replete with gay men who got married, had children, and did the hanky-panky with the wanky on the side. I mean, just look at the average Jerry Springer/Maury Show.

I'm from northern Europe. We don't touch, ever. On a national level, we don't hug. It's even pretty common that families don't hug each other. It's slowly changing, with young people hugging and touching more freely.

In our company we don't touch at all, but on the executive level it's a different story. I guess they spend so much time with their central-European colleagues that they've overcome their national deficits. It was something of a shock to meet my central-European colleagues for the first time, kissing everyone on the cheek three times and hugging everyone upon departure. I would certainly encourage more touching in the workplace. I feel it makes people more approachable.

We shake hands if introduced to a customer (for example). If someone did that stuff to me, I'd guess it's a dominance play, not latent homosexual tendencies.

He sounds like a jerk. Who goes up to someone and violently shakes their chair for fun, or yanks on your clothing to ask a question? Weird. It's not professional, and not normal even outside of the workplace. And I come from the South, the land of kissing friends' cheeks and hugging perfect strangers.

I seriously doubt this has anything to do with sexual misconduct, and everything to do with him not understanding professional and personal boundaries. Maybe he's lazy, maybe he thinks he's being hilarious, I don't know.

Anyway, if it bothers you, tell him to back off. There's absolutely no reason you should tolerate someone grabbing at your clothing unbidden. (ETA: Also, if possible, move your desk just a few inches, maybe half a foot. Just so you're out of easy grabbing range, so if he wanted to yank at your shirt, he'd have to get up out his chair to do it, giving him a few extra milliseconds to think of how much of an ass he really wants to be.)

I'd say that I've been touched by a co-worker at my current job very, very little. The only times I recall are when I have my headphones on and one particular person is trying to get my attention. He comes over and taps me on the shoulder. He's done it, maybe, four or five times (He's in my department, but he works on a different product altogether, so there's really not much reason for us to communicate in the first place), but he's annoying in general, and given the fact that my other co-workers can usually get my attention by saying my name, even with my headphones on, he just needs to learn to speak up.

Otherwise, no, nobody touches anyone else. Our department is generally very quiet, as we've been yelled at numerous times because we're "too social." Especially since they decided to cut our team down by 2 people in a round of lay-offs (we only had 7 people to begin with).

What is this "touching" of which you speak?

Seriously though, since i work at a state institution touching is not allowed. They have bi-annual harrassment training everyone has to attend, and the gist is don't touch anyone. Ever. Wear bubble suits. Don't breathe on each other. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

The only people I touch on a regualr basis are my wife and my immediate family.

At my workplace, most of my co-workers respect physical space. That said, a couple of my coworkers and quite a few of the "customers" will come up and give me hugs and/or flirt. The fact that they are, without exception, attractive college girls means that I'm entirely okay with that! Tutoring at a university has its advantages!

Specifically, I don't touch nor do I get touched at work. Generally, people seem to enjoy hitting me which can spill over to work on occasion. I don't know why this is. They don't hit other people. Just me.

I work from home.

My wife works from home.

Both our kids are in school from 8AM to 3PM.

Do the math (grin).

I pretty much have the only situation in which I'd consider regular physical contact acceptable.

Hell, I don't even let folks touch my phone or keyboard. Someone who tugged at my shirt would be politely, but firmly, asked to stop before he became the victim of an unavoidable case of workplace violence.

If you are in my cube, behind my chair while I am working, or otherwise invading my space, it is a powerplay and I immediately stand up to show equal footing. Take your games elsewhere.

Touch some one at work... hell no man, you'd get your ass kicked for doing something like that.

Here in Eastern Europe people touch each other a lot, we are used to it. But this is usually the nice kind of touch, the friendly one. The sexual harassment craze hasn't gotten over here yet, otherwise e.g. the occasional mutual backrubs for and from my female colleagues would be a no-no. However, the annoying contact you described would be dealt with pretty severely even here. I can think of a handful of very obscene things to tell the guy to make him stop.

I haven't had anyone touch me at work. The poking finger sounds like a drag. If someone wanted to give me a pat on the back I'd probably be okay with that. Or maybe a neck rub. But absolutely no touching my unit unless it involves a promotion and a raise.

Drop an F bomb in there. Worked for me.

Oh yeah, and don't forget the squared shoulders and one raised eyebrow.