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Yeah, it's a common humble-brag. Ugh, I hate how I get hit on and checked out all the time. omg it's literally like the worst. Just because I wear a sports bra and volleyball shorts everywhere doesn't mean I want sexual attention.
Sexual attention from an unattractive man is less likely to receive objections if he makes it clear he doesn't actually think he has a shot, if he signals he could be a willing orbiter, or if the sexual attention comes from afar and she gets something in return (e.g., Instagram likes/comments).
Men are supposed to just read women's minds to know whether or not to approach, lest they run afoul of the workplace rules.
Yes, I agree. I was thinking mainly about situations where the man tries to pick up the woman; "hits on her"; "slides into her DMs" etc. As you say, any sexual attention where the man communicates that he thinks he has a chance of a sexual/romantic relationship. Also it applies to catcalling and the like. But yeah, if the sexual attention strictly puts the woman into a higher status position, then a lot of the time it's okay, for example if a man pays $100 to subscribe to a woman's Onlyfans.
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