EclecticWarrior wrote:
I think it has a lot to do with the current "all men are potential rapists" attitude in third-wave feminism. Autistic men have always been singled out as weirdos but the "rapist" label is fairly recent.
It's recent that women are talking about it, but we've always had to be on our guard like that around strange men. While most men are not going to try to harass or assault me, when it comes to strangers, there's a very real risk and just no way to know.
It's like... let's say you go to an area that's known for having high levels of robbery, and a guy walks up to with his hands in his pockets and asks for directions. He's probably just asking for directions, but you know there's also a real chance he's got a weapon and is about to rob you. You're naturally going to be on your guard and suspicious, right?
So for women, basically, every public area is that bad neighborhood, and every man you don't know and trust is that guy with his hands in his pockets.