Women are forced to be more preoccupied with their safety than men.
Photo by Guiseppe Milo/Flickr
Danielle Muscato, host of the #Resist Podcast, asked her Twitter followers a question that revealed the massive disparity in how men and women perceive their personal safety.
“Ladies, a question for you: What would you do if all men had a 9pm curfew? Dudes: Read the replies and pay attention.”
\nLadies, a question for you:
— Danielle Muscato (@DanielleMuscato) September 25, 2018\n
"What would you do if all men had a 9pm curfew?"
Dudes: Read the replies and pay attention.#metoo #Kavanaugh #Cosby #feminism #maleprivilege #privilege
The tweet received over 9500 shares and 19,000 likes, but most importantly, it started an important discussion about the myriad ways women feel threatened by men, especially at night.
Some small-minded, reactionary men thought Muscato was man-bashing.
\nYou do realize the vast majority of dudes don’t bother or harrass women right? Your post comes off as incredibly condescending and shallow. How about instead of generalizing you start encouraging women and tell them how to protect themselves if they would like the option?
— Dylan Armstrong (@astrongwriter) October 1, 2018\n
While other men were blown away because they never completely grasped the threat that men posed to women or how precocciped women have to be with their safety.
\nI’m a white guy who regularly visits other countries by himself, walking city streets after midnight while listening to music on my headphones while not speaking the language. Never even occurred to me that this was a gender privilege.
— Randall Stephens (@DrBeagleman1) September 26, 2018\n
\nWow, I feel horrible right now. None of this has ever occurred to me as an issue. I run, I go do whatever I want whenever I want.
— Houston Wolf (@houstonwolf) September 26, 2018\n
Why aren't women filled with uncontrollable rage all the time?
As a trans man, who’s seen the issue from both perspectives, Jesse had a valuable take on this issue.
\nThis makes me sad. I don’t really have to deal with these thoughts/precautions anymore because I’m a trans man and pass about 75% of the time. I remember when I did though, and now I’m kind of looking from the outside looking in on what I used to experience when I identified as
— Jesse (@j_wojo24) September 26, 2018\n
\na woman, and all of the other things that I don’t deal with anymore (ie men talking over you, telling you to “smile more”, innapropriate comments comments about your clothes, etc). I’m really sorry that women continually go through this.
— Jesse (@j_wojo24) September 26, 2018\n
“I was thrilled to see it getting so much attention—lots of cis men responded too, and I think that’s great,” Muscato told The Daily Dot. “A number of people really seemed genuinely shocked at the kinds of mental exhaustion women have to endure every day just navigating our lives, in ways that cis men simply can’t understand because it doesn’t exist in their world.”
The post received countless responses from women who discussed how liberating it would be to live without fearing a man will follow them home, put a roofie in their drink, invade their home, sexually assault them on public transportation or rape them in a parking garage.
\nTake late night walks in reasonable temperatures (FL), go to a bar alone, walk back to my car from my late class without phoning a friend, go to the beach, work nights instead of fighting my natural sleep cycle...
— Katt (@katt_resists) October 2, 2018\n
\nI'd feel safe grocery shopping at night, walking to my car at night, hell, I'd even start walking at night. I've often thought of stretching my legs at night, but ya know ... I don't want to get attacked. Not worth the risk.
— Candice C. (@candicensd) September 26, 2018\n
\nLong, calm, solo nighttime walks. That would be amazing.
— Bronwyn Harris (@BronwynAnn) September 25, 2018\n
\nPublic transit. I’d take all the public transit.
— Bronwyn Harris (@BronwynAnn) September 25, 2018\n
\nI’m surprised at how emotional this just made me.
— Bronwyn Harris (@BronwynAnn) September 25, 2018\n
\nI would go for a walk. Take my puppies on a late night walk for more than a few minutes. Sit on my porch. Go to the park.
— Anthoula (@thoulababoula) October 2, 2018\n
\nHaving drinks with girlfriends, being able to leave an establishment without fear of being followed by a man who felt I "encouraged him" by being in the same place at the same time.
— Tiffany Getch (@tiffany_getch) September 25, 2018\n
\nWhat I usually do? The chances of me being kidnapped or raped would go down 100% though. https://t.co/9Eix06Dk17
— Somebody mama. (@adabofash) September 26, 2018\n
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