Is this acceptable in the workplace?

I think you were 100% in the right to call him out on this. Particularly if I have understood correctly that he is senior and there were more junior people in the chat.

If he had been junior himself (and I was senior), I may have spoken to him privately and asked him to delete the comment.

His response to your comment further validates your response.

It’s 2025 - introducing sexual references into a chat about workflows/deadlines is not acceptable. I actually don’t think it has been for quite some time

Literally wouldn’t bat an eyelid if that was said in my workplace.

This. Make sure you include the men's PMs supporting you, that shows you are not being overly sensitive. Cowards they are though, the sexist man would have listen more to a man so it's a pity none of them said anything. Share the screenshots with the sexist's line manager and ask them to tell him this is sexual harassment and is not acceptable in the workplace. These kind of microaggressions build an atmosphere that is unwelcoming to women and affect the bottomline when talented individuals leave the company because of this atmosphere. Companies need to nip them in the bud before they become more serious.

DH complained on the chat about a gif one of his male colleagues posted in a group chat because it was sexist and inappropriate for work, when the person responsible said 'oh it's no big deal' several of the women on the chat said 'actually it is, it makes us feel uncomfortable'.

It is not the worst thing to say. Likely thinks he is the funniest guy in the workplace and is attempting to be funny and relevant. Sounds as though he is a bit David Brent. Most people are cringing rather than laughing I imagine.

Same 🙈 it certainly wouldn’t occur to me to “call him out” or complain about it.

He was just joking, stop being so uptight, hardly a sackable offence

Are you quite well?

Regardless of whether you think the comment was inappropriate, just because he made the comment in a general forum does not mean he was comparing the OP to a prostitute or her clients and the OP did not suggest as such.

Nice hand waving

Which is the OP?

The prostitute being abused?

Or abuser engaged in the abuse of the prostitute?

Screenshot everything, including the emoji!

"3 of the other men on the chat have PM’d me to make it clear they are shocked by his comment"
Ask them to put their money where there mouth is. "Hi Matt, thanks for your message, it means a lot. If you'd be willing to support me in the group chat (emoji, message) I'd really appreciate that." - or ask them to join a collective complaint to HR.

I think it’s in inappropriate for a work chat as it’s bringing sex into the workplace. If that makes anyone uncomfortable then that then becomes sexual harassment. He was likely trying to get a laugh.

it’s the next bit that makes it even worse - the poo emoji. Very disrespectful and childish.

i would have a word with his line manager.

Yeah, that part is worse. I mean the initial comment could be bearable (though tasteless) if said in the canteen on break, and the person wasn't an arsehole, but in the context it seems worse. Then the shit emoji kind of says it all about this bloke's mentality.

I think it’s inappropriate to bring sexual banter into a group setting like that. And I’m glad you spoke up op.

What a shame the men who were appalled didn’t have the guts to speak up as well and left you out to dry.

I think it was an ill-judged comment but I don't know that it's either deeply unprofessional or misogynistic. The fact is that there IS a long queue for BB. It would be different if he'd said that he would be in the queue.
I'm actually more shocked by the fact that he thought a poo emoji was an acceptable workplace response to a concern from a colleague - however unreasonable he felt that concern to be.

Do you know, I would have said I'd have laughed at the Bonnie Blue comment - until I read your post @PotassiumPermanganate
You make very good points.

And the comment wasn’t directed at the OP, it was a general comment.
if you asked a question and someone replied ‘is the pope catholic’ or ‘do bears shit in the woods’ do you get offended that they are calling you catholic or a bear?

I thought it was funny…. I’ll see myself out.

I don’t disagree with any of this apart from it being sexist.

In what way is a woman who is willingly engaging in sex with men being raped?
You are being incredibly offensive towards rape victims here in suggesting Bonnie Blue is one.

I get what you are saying but I don’t see why anyone would feel
uncomfortable just at the mention of a prostitute when it’s not directed at anyone.

my very first ‘proper job’ when I was 17 in a major call centre it was drilled into us that some topics aren’t appropriate for work - sex, religion, politics etc because they evoke strong emotions, can easily offend and lead to arguments. This would fall under that banner. What he said and his response was immature, sexist and likely to provoke a negative reaction from at least one of the audience he made it to, so it was not appropriate for a professional communication, it was also a shining example of stupidity to put it all in writing, in a group setting in a work system that is backed up, and audit logged.

@Gymrabbit It's more a general situation where you have been made to feel uncomfortable or embarrassed in your job in any way, but you daren't rock the boat by calling it out as you have to go to work every day with that other person.

Its about a prostitution so which is the OP?

The prostitute being abused?

Or abuser engaged in the rape of the prostitute?

I think I'm actually more shocked by the poo emoji than by the comment itself (that I also find inappropriate)

Good on you for standing up OP.

But the situations are not in anyway similar. In your case a man is indulging in sexual harassment. In the Ops he made a comment about a woman who earns her living doing sex work - I don’t see how that affects or has any link to the OP in any way.