A Minor Variation

So, this Captain Awkward article (warning: potentially triggery stuff) has been making the rounds of the internet lately, but I'm going to spread it a little farther because I think it's something pretty much everyone should know - this and John Scalzi's advice on how to avoid being perceived as creepy, not just for the advice itself but for how educational the reader comments to it are as well.

'Cause there's an awful lot of "respecting other people's boundaries won't get me laid" and "but they mean well and it's not fair to hurt their feelings because you felt unsafe" and "it's your responsibility to keep yourself safe because you can't reasonably expect other people to not assault you if you make yourself vulnerable in any way" in there.

I mean, I've been lucky enough to avoid being subjected to the kinds of overt behavior described in the letters in the first article - but pretty much every woman in my local friend-group either has been or personally knows someone else who has. This is a thing. It happens all the damn time.