So,
apparently the world of geekdom is afire with the never-ending conflict between
the genders and the nerve-wracking prospect of mating. I sat down and thought about all of the
mitigating factors to this situation and it was long. So rather than go through
them all in detail, I will just lay out my theses for each topic. We can get
into more detail if it is desired, but there are a few key points I feel need
to be said up front:
This is not a simple situation. This is not just about knowing
boundaries, or lack of clear communication. There is not an easy answer like “respect
people’s boundaries” or “be nice to awkward people.”
This is not a case of extremes. Not every guy who touches a woman’s
shoulder is testing boundaries for a future date rape. Not every woman who
rejects your advances is a cold meanie who has no care for the feelings of sensitive
dudes. Extremes do exist, but that are such a small part of the population in
question as to be straw men.
While the situation is complex, it is
never okay to not respect other people. This goes for everyone. Hurting other people, either through
carelessness, miscommunication, or aggression is wrong. More than ‘wrong’, it
makes the situation worse, for everyone. It is not pragmatic.
If you think I am taking the side of
your enemies, you are wrong. My approach is based
on my experiences, but I see things everyone does to make it worse and no one
has the moral high ground (including me). My thought process is based on being
an applied academic (I am an anthropologist with some experience teaching and
researching gender), convention volunteer/director (more than a decade with Origins,
plus helping to run a few smaller conventions), religious person (I will let you
guess what religion, though I am not sure it is relevant), geek/nerd/dweeb (I
think most people reading this know my cred), former behavioral health
professional (special needs kids and adults), and ‘successful’ mater (9 years
married with rugrats). I am still probably wrong, but that’s where I am coming
from.
So,
without further ado, my theses on some of the issues involved in the situation:
Gender
roles and women’s empowerment: Gender roles are changing, and have been since
the early feminist movements. It is becoming (slowly) more acceptable for women
in our culture to be aggressive and less so for men to be. This means everyone
is trying to figure out where they stand, have a little patience.
Labels
like “Creeper” and “Bitch”: Labels serve no one. When you label someone, you give
them three choices: Embrace it (“Okay, I am a creeper, that means I can do
whatever I want”), Deny it (“I am just awkward, cut me some slack.”), or Fight
it (“Well, you are a bitch, so I guess we are even.”). The fact is, both of
these labels have drifted into very broad categories of behavior ranging from “Asks
you out and you don’t find him attractive” and “Says no, thank you.” All the way
to “rufies and windowless vans” and “publically humiliates you, crushes your
testicles, and then hires thugs to beat your to death with your bouquet of
roses.” A vast majority of people are neither end, remember that.
“Proper
behavior for approaching women”: There
is no handbook. Men have three sources: trial and error, pop culture (Stalking
is romantic if it works, thanks Hollywood), and other males. We use them all to
varying degrees, and each has advantages and drawbacks.
Social
status, wealth, attractiveness, and confidence: These all matter, women. It doesn’t
make you shallow, but it is important to realize that men rarely have high
marks in all of them, and you *do* judge them based on it. Geeks are
particularly challenged in this area, often through no fault of their own.
Communication:
Subtle hints and flirting are great. “Soft No” and indirect propositions are
great… but you accept the risk that they may be ignored, misinterpreted or missed
altogether. Ambiguity is risk, accept that.
Rights,
privileges, and entitlement: Arguably, people have more of a right to speak
than you have not to be spoken to. There is no “right to be left alone while
you read” just like there is no “right to sexual favors when you ask.” Heck,
you do not have a right to be treated respectfully, but you do have a
responsibility to do so. Regardless of what they do. If you have expectations
of how other people should act, you are asking to be frustrated. Again, this is
pragmatic, not cultural.
Vulnerability
and Power: The biggest fear I see from
women in these cases is a sense of vulnerability. Many fear for their safety,
and feel that trumps all other considerations. It does. Kind of. Just be aware
that men fear for their safety as well. No, they are not worrying that you will
kill or rape them, but men are exposing themselves to harm because in our
culture they have to. One of the biggest causes for violence is a feeling of
powerlessness. No, it is not fair. But be aware.
Rape,
harassment, and unwanted advances: Implying (or in many cases I have seen,
outright stating), that a man is a “creeper” is basically calling that guy a
potential, failed, or successful rapist. Think about that. On the other hand,
men, in our culture we don’t touch women without their permission. Period. Yes,
it can be awkward when women are not clear if it is okay, but until it is
resolved on a cultural level, don’t assume. Finally, unwanted advances.
Seriously? Someone finds you attractive, approaches you, and you don’t reciprocate.
That is fine. But unless there is a real
threat, be gracious, be flattered, be clear.
Social
Awkwardness, Psychopathologies, and Conditioned Behavior: On both sides, every
action we take makes a similar action more likely in the future. Everyone, when
you assault (verbally or physically) a person on either side of the attempted proposition,
you are affecting their behavior for life. Men, upsetting women makes it harder
for you to be successful in the future and harder for other men like you to be
successful. Choose your pick up lines carefully. Women, upsetting men will make
it *less* likely they will be able to appropriately approach other women. You
are increasing the likelihood that they will make other women (and you, if the
man tries again) feel unsafe.
Conventions, bars, and other ‘sexualized public spaces’: Conventions are a particularly sticky issue (I should probably pick a better word, but I won’t). Cosplay, distance from home (and consequences), anonymity, crowds, alcohol, sexualized advertising, high geek proportions (again, probably should pick a better word) all lead to people taking risks they would not normally take. Men, the fact that you are anonymous and drunk and that makes you feel free from consequences does not mean women agree. Women, understand the context, and understand that *all* conventions are seen as meat markets (even the elementary school teacher’s convention I went to). Both sides, stick to groups. Unless you have negotiated ‘alone time’ while sober and well-rested, don’t make assumptions later.
Pop
culture, stalking and romance: I mentioned this before, but seriously, how we
see mating rituals is pretty weird. Men are told that unrelenting attention is
romantic. It isn’t, guys. Women are told that men should be confident, remember
that when Mr. Geek waddles his way over to ask you out. Men and women are told
that attractive people have all the power. Men, this means you cannot resent
women who are attractive and have all the power. Women, this means that your
attractiveness is a source of power and you should be compassionate. (This goes
the other way for attractive men, but that is somewhat outside the scope of
this discussion.)
Negotiating
social distance: Americans believe in a physical distance of about two to three
feet. Men, this is your marker. If you wish to see if that distance has
shortened between you and a female, extend a hand halfway and see if they reciprocate.
Unless you are pushing her out of the way of a runaway Amish buggy, there is
*nowhere* on her body you can touch platonically. Women, be aware that men
touch for more than sexual attraction. Men touch to ‘play’ with each other.
This is why football players can play grab ass on the field and not have to
worry about sleeping on their stomachs. When a man wants to communicate to a
woman that they are not a sexual interest, they will touch you in various ways.
It’s stupid, but it’s how we communicate. Both, be aware that “comfort zones”
are completely cultural and are not uniform even within the same culture. Err
on the side of caution. As much as it seems like people “should just know” the
right way to respond to these situations, cultures are in flux and we are
constantly negotiating how this is supposed to work.
Responsibility
and Projection: Ultimately, we are responsible for our behavior. If what you
are doing is making someone uncomfortable, stop. If you are being made
uncomfortable, clearly communicate that. If you are trying to communicate with
someone, and this is important… IF YOU WANT THE OTHER PERSON TO ACT A CERTAIN
WAY YOU HAVE TO CARE WHAT THEY THINK. Not just because it’s the humane thing to
do, but because if you don’t you are trying to act without all the variables,
and that doesn’t work.
This
isn’t even about morality, compassion, or forgiveness (though they should all
be involved). This is about being pragmatic. It is about trying to reduce the
awkwardness, fear, and humiliation so that they don’t happen anymore. It is about
trying to avoid triggers, expectations and assumptions that make it worse. It
is about finding solutions that work, you can apply whatever moral, legal, or
ethical framework you want, but I think discussion is an early step to finding
solutions. It’s all about communication (until my psychic empathy gene therapy
patent comes through, then it will be all about public water supplies).