"Gender Neutral"

[sufrommich]

The burqa of the internet.Agree or disagree?

[cinnabonbon]

1. In the way that

women are supposed to hide their gender with a gender neutral handle if they want to be treated with respect, the same way women has to wear the burqa in order to avoid being harassed about it?


I admit that it took me longer than it should have to make the connection, heh. Maybe I need to read GD more.

[sufrommich]

2. Maybe it wasn't the best analogy. I just

find it infuriating that the answer to sexual harassment on the internet seems to be "never admit you're a woman".

[cinnabonbon]

3. Nah, I was mostly commenting

on the fact that I am slow today. It wasn't a comment on your analogy!

It IS infuriating that the best advice people can give is "just stop being a woman on the net!" Because being a woman on the internet means we get to victim blame you when you're sexually harassed or stalked. After all, if you didn't want to be sexually harassed, you would have just disguised yourself, right?

[sufrommich]

4. That's right,just try not to be provocative by

admitting you're female,that's just asking for it.

[Squinch]

5. I am glad you said this. I understand people suggesting that women use

gender neutral names on the net, and they are right: it will make you safer from the abuse that women have to deal with online. But I resent the fact that I am not allowed to maintain my equilibrium on some of these sites simply because I am a woman.

The men who abuse women online are just like the men who insist women wear burqas. It is THEIR problem, not the woman's. They have so much rage, and so much need to dominate what they are incapable of dominating, that it sickens them. I wish there were some way to make THEM deal with their crap so I don't have to.

Just another instance where this is the case.