Private Eye

[WineIsMyCarb]

Letter attached. I would like to reply. Please help me frame my argument.

Initially my thoughts are:
"Anyone can be a sexual predator"

• need link to evidence that 90+% of offenders are men, and that trans people offend at the same rate

"Ridiculous fears". Undermining he valid concern that self-ID laws will be taken advantage of by predatory men.

"I'm no scientist but sexual dimorphism and nature is not so supposedly cut and dry"
It is a biological fact that mammals cannot change sex.

Sugggestions and proposed phrasing very welcome please.

On train after 2 long days of meetings so can only come back to this seriously at work on Thursday. Sorry if don't reply to this until then.

Thanks.

Reveals that these people have

Zero idea of how creepy men operate
Zero idea about women and girls lives

This can't be stressed enough.

Men can do virtually nothing and still horribly intimidate a woman. A deliberately over long stare, a smirk, a comment that sounds innocuous but is intentionally knowing or lascivious.

Especially being in a female space, where women are vulnerable. And doubly so if they know they're not welcome.

An obnoxious man, knowing he's already invaded your space and there's nothing you can do about it? His body language alone could easily be enough to intimidate. In fact for many women, his presence is enough.

It is cut and dry though, mate. Sorry if that's inconvenient but (shrugs).

Just reply,

Agreed, you are no scientist.

Great reply from Datun

But I’d also be tempted to work in a long-standing Private Eye tradition and include this photo as a lookalike with the time-honoured tag ‘I wonder if they could be related?’
(Does ‘Karen’ even have a GRC btw?)

Darn! I’m on the train and it took so long to load that, I missed the fact that OP has sent the letter.

I might do the lookalike myself, then

An obnoxious man, knowing he's already invaded your space and there's nothing you can do about it? His body language alone could easily be enough to intimidate. In fact for many women, his presence is enough.

Absolutely. And for some men this is a thrill. A buzz. Something enjoyed and done quite deliberately. From basic enjoyment of power and dominance - "You're beautiful when you're angry darling" shouts to a woman who is pushed to react to sexual harassment - to the point of it being a sexual turn on. Think the crossdresser who wrote the article in the Guardian 'I like to give her a smirk that says I know you're not enjoying this, but I am.' Women being uncomfortable isn't a downside, it's an active part of the thrill.

And if women get angry, put up boundaries? There's the swearing, the shouting and if you're unlucky, getting clobbered for rejecting and embarrassing him.

Fuck that. Anyone who wants women to line up for that is already giving away their enjoyment of seeing women at risk. Or their wokery based on 'look at me being a good girl, hurt them and not me'.