If you’re a dude who thinks of himself as a protector, that’s awesome, I fully support that. ...but what kind of protecting do you actually do?
I think a lot of “protectors” just periodically go to the gym and then decide that if they should ever witness a man violently attacking a woman right in front of them that they would intervene. What is certainly something, but that is very unlikely to actually happen. That’s not how predators function. If this is the only way in which you protect, you are very unlikely to ever do any actual protecting.
Predatory men are not cavemen, they are just as smart and calculating as you and me. To do real protecting, you need to keep an eye out for the types of assault that are very common.
First, Predators prey on women when they are alone. You probably don’t understand how common street harassment, groping, and SA is because it never happens right in front of you. Again, these predators aren’t dumb. They rarely do this in front of other men. They wait until a woman is walking alone, or is somehow secluded and in a vulnerable moment.
Second, predators don’t defend themselves with their fists, they defend themselves with public perception. “But he didn’t do that to me.”, “But he’s a pillar of the community.”, “but he’s a hard working guy.”, “but he’s a sophisticated business man!”, “it’s just a he said she said situation.” Serial predators will work very hard on their public perception so that their accusers will not be believed. Again, these are not simpletons, they are smart, they know what they are doing.
If you want to actually protect, protect the perception of women in the world. Protect societal respect for women. Protect women’s rights and women’s autonomy. Protect proper processes and real justice.
Object when your friend makes a rape joke. Speak about women like they are real, complete human beings. Don’t default to believing the man when an assault is reported, default to demanding a full investigation. Keep your eyes out for men expressing predatory views. Warn your female friends. Walk with them.
hmichellerose / HannahMR
npub1tv…4jlst
2026-02-20 13:39:31 UTC
Author Public Key
npub1tv5j2h2742ht2a6490cdzypsxah5wlge5qyutadgphw884ynt8mqg4jlstPublished at
2026-02-20 13:39:31 UTCEvent JSON
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"content": "If you’re a dude who thinks of himself as a protector, that’s awesome, I fully support that. ...but what kind of protecting do you actually do? \n\nI think a lot of “protectors” just periodically go to the gym and then decide that if they should ever witness a man violently attacking a woman right in front of them that they would intervene. What is certainly something, but that is very unlikely to actually happen. That’s not how predators function. If this is the only way in which you protect, you are very unlikely to ever do any actual protecting. \n\nPredatory men are not cavemen, they are just as smart and calculating as you and me. To do real protecting, you need to keep an eye out for the types of assault that are very common. \n\nFirst, Predators prey on women when they are alone. You probably don’t understand how common street harassment, groping, and SA is because it never happens right in front of you. Again, these predators aren’t dumb. They rarely do this in front of other men. They wait until a woman is walking alone, or is somehow secluded and in a vulnerable moment. \n\nSecond, predators don’t defend themselves with their fists, they defend themselves with public perception. “But he didn’t do that to me.”, “But he’s a pillar of the community.”, “but he’s a hard working guy.”, “but he’s a sophisticated business man!”, “it’s just a he said she said situation.” Serial predators will work very hard on their public perception so that their accusers will not be believed. Again, these are not simpletons, they are smart, they know what they are doing. \n\nIf you want to actually protect, protect the perception of women in the world. Protect societal respect for women. Protect women’s rights and women’s autonomy. Protect proper processes and real justice. \n\nObject when your friend makes a rape joke. Speak about women like they are real, complete human beings. Don’t default to believing the man when an assault is reported, default to demanding a full investigation. Keep your eyes out for men expressing predatory views. Warn your female friends. Walk with them. ",
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