You might be overthinking it with today views of political correctness. In view of his character I don't think it was out of place. He is a scoundrel and a risk taker. Relationships are complicated and there are no guarantees. He felt there is something and pushed it.Graham Kennedy wrote: That is the wider point. As I said earlier, I do not think Lucas or whoever intended to depict a sexual assault here. He intended to depict Leia wanting the kiss, but not wanting to admit it.
But that makes it worse, not better. Because what they're selling here is, as you said, kind of a rapist fantasy world in which women who say no repeatedly actually mean yes, and so it's okay to push the issue.
And yes, she responded to the kiss. But that doesn't make it okay! There are women who have orgasms whilst being raped - and men who claim that this means she secretly wanted it so it wasn't rape. Much the same argument is used by many to claim that it's a physical impossibility for a woman to rape a man, because any boner automatically denotes consent to any sex act with any woman.
And I'm not especially attacking this movie, here. I already pointed out a James Bond example which is far worse; Hollywood history is littered with such examples.
He could have been wrong in which case, yes it would basically been...well at least questionable. Considering how it turned out in the long run I think it was retroactively justified. Knowing the character Leia I guess if she would have felt assaulted we would find Solo on the deck holding his smashed in balls, so....what's the big deal?
As for rape fantasies....sad as it is, it seems the "I say no but actually mean yes" fetish is much more popular with women as you would think, or how would you explain "Shades of Grey"?