There’s a lot of discussion on UK Twitter right now about women’s safety in public spaces. And of course, I’ve been afraid to walk after dark, and sometimes even during the daytime, in most places that I’ve lived and visited.
I think this article approaches the issue in a wrong way. It only considers the safety of female speakers, not the listeners. It suggests that the organizers should arrange an escort and somehow be aware of who is comfortable with whom or give an option to openly declare that you are uncomfortable with someone.
Better option for the speakers, if unable to arrange for a company of someone they know well, would be to ask some other speakers they feel comfortable with directly. Organizers could also offer to guide groups unfamiliar with the city to/from the station.
Often having had confrontations with aggressive men at the conferences who disagreed with my views, or thought I wasn’t sympathetic enough to their perspectives.
I’ve only been to small-scale conferences or conferences in particular setting but I can’t imagine anyone being aggressive when confronted with a differing opinion. Perhaps this was a hyperbole.
If you’re a cis man at a conference, please be aware that you are, by default, a threat.
This sounds like a great way to alienate half of the readers.
While there are more known cis male rapists than known rapists with other sexual preference, a supermajority of cis men are not rapist.
Further, being attracted to women that aren’t attracted to you is not a rape impulse, just an unfortunate side effect of being a male mammal with no major predators.
I think this article approaches the issue in a wrong way. It only considers the safety of female speakers, not the listeners. It suggests that the organizers should arrange an escort and somehow be aware of who is comfortable with whom or give an option to openly declare that you are uncomfortable with someone.
Better option for the speakers, if unable to arrange for a company of someone they know well, would be to ask some other speakers they feel comfortable with directly. Organizers could also offer to guide groups unfamiliar with the city to/from the station.
I’ve only been to small-scale conferences or conferences in particular setting but I can’t imagine anyone being aggressive when confronted with a differing opinion. Perhaps this was a hyperbole.
This sounds like a great way to alienate half of the readers.
Of course cis men are a threat, they can’t control their rape impulses.
Pretty sure there should be a /s there.
While there are more known cis male rapists than known rapists with other sexual preference, a supermajority of cis men are not rapist.
Further, being attracted to women that aren’t attracted to you is not a rape impulse, just an unfortunate side effect of being a male mammal with no major predators.
Even if that’s the way you perceive it, expressing this attitude is unlikely to gather you an audience who will listen to your points.