Quote:
Originally Posted by Vicky.
I think most people socialized as female would feel uncomfortable going into male areas. Without sounding all 'militant feminist' here, women are pretty much taught to fear men...mainly through mens own actions. For example, the first time I was sexually assaulted I was 11. I had just started to grow tits and a random guy on the street first was whistling at me (in my school uniform) and them grabbed both tits when I walked past him (trying to ignore). This continues on a fairly regular basis as you are growing up (for most women I assume, at least all women I have spoke to about it). Grown ass men wolf whistling at you, flashing you, groping you. When you tell teachers they don't take it seriously, or in my case will say 'well you weren't actually hurt' and thats it. Sometimes it was reported to the police, who again did not take it seriously and would ask questions like 'why were you alone' which make it seem like the attack was my fault. Then you start (as a teen) getting messages from various places/people about how you should not ever walk home in the dark, avoid alleys, don't get into unlicensed cabs, don't get too drunk as you will be open to being raped, don't wear revealing clothing...and so on. These messages come from all angles..parents, teachers, friends, tv, news..everywhere.
Now, I don't 'fear men' as such. But I damn well know I have to be wary around men I do not know. Chances are, they are absolutely fine. Maybe the messages of fear I got growing up are OTT. But there is also a chance they are NOT fine and are one of the bad ones. As a woman I am unlikely to be able to overcome the average man if he does attack me. I am fairly strong for a woman, but **** all compared to a bloke. I used to think I could overcome most blokes, until I was playfighting with a mate who is smaller than me and fairly thin too. He managed to pin me against a wall and keep me there with little effort. That scared the crap out of me and it seems I have been underestimating the power of testosterone and just...male bodies 
Not sure what this post has to do with anything. It was going to be a reply to transmen going into male areas, but it has evolved as I have wittered on. But yeah, I don't think transmen would be as comfortable using male areas as they might make out sometimes. Obviously the experience of all female people will not be the same as mine, but I honestly think most women will get where I am coming from with this post, even if their experiences differ a bit. I expect men will read this and think I am attacking all men or something, but I really am not. Just trying to explain a bit of what its actually like to be 'socialized' as female. |
Just to clarify with some of the views I've posted in this thread, I don't deny that women have more of these experiences and that our socialisation is different, I had a couple of experiences like this as a child, once when I was with friends and once when I was with my mum and sister, and also twice as an adult in a place of work, but I know this doesn't mean I've been socialised in the same way and that it is a more regular thing for women and I'm not going to have those same feelings of fear, and that my experiences are isolated. But none of my views are denying this is the case, Just thought I'd point that out incase anyone has the wrong impression with some of what I was saying, which is that however real the fear is, danger isn't always present in situations where there might be fear or unease.
02-12-2017, 04:44 PM
Hybrid Mode
