Jeremy Stangroom

Whether it's the truth, a lie, or self-delusion, I don't see how it's an example of "privilege".

Well, it's the asymmetricality. For example, I can sit on public transport without worrying that some male is going to stick a camera between my legs. If I walk about NYC on my own, not much chance I'm going to be cat-called (though there was an incident with a tie dye t-shirt).

I agree with that point, although Stephen Geigen-Miller did specify that his point related to "most" people he interacted with, which presumably means he also acknowledges there are circumstances where gender/sex distinction is important.

Well, I was responding to Jane's more general point. But my general view is that male sexuality is fairly rapacious, & we tend to be highly attuned to the sex of the people with whom we're interacting (so males change their behaviour around females, etc).

I agree we instinctively react differently to the sex of the people with whom we interact, but on a cognitive level we can decide not to care - if it isn't relevant to the situation.

But if you're a lone woman interacting with a stranger who might be a man, you can't decide not to care. That's the point. I think it's difficult for us (males) to imagine ourselves in that situation.

Lone woman + strange man = of course.

Right, and the point is that any woman going about her daily business is surrounded a great deal by strange men... we are constantly aware of it... telling women to not care about the sex of other people is contrary to our entire experience of the world.