Thread by @hatpinwoman

I want to talk about being safe, as a woman, within our movement. Especially for anon women if your anonymity is vital. Im not very tech savvy but on that side,if you’re using an email associated with your real name,consider changing it. Especially to something like proton mail.

But I’m not thinking specifically about safety against TRAs. Just safety. For example,I know some women have had weird interactions with straight GC men. In some cases they subsequently feel hesitant to break off the friendship as he knows their real name

There was also the instance where a prominent man allegedly handed over the name of a woman in this fight to a TRA who then went to the police about her. Many of us once gave our names and addresses to a man who later threatened to doxx women and went full TRA

Another man infiltrated a women's only Terven group by coming on here with an account purporting to be a woman. There’s a popular account that seems to be claiming to be a woman that many know is run by a man. As well as a further account that I personally suspect is a man

Online can be a hall of mirrors. Even our own corner of it. To the wrong man your name is something he can apparently try to control you with if you’re anon. You can still be subject to boundary violations from men who turn up to fight for women’s rights. It’s sad but true

Be circumspect about sharing personal info&guard your anonymity if it’s crucial.If being anon is desired but not vital trust your instincts.Ive trusted many women&quite a few men with my name.Theyre genuine&have protected me.There are many good people here. As well as the odd cad

If you think someone might be a cad,don’t talk yourself out of it. Wait and see.More generally if you set up women only DM groups or DM groups to discuss imperative things then participants can verify themselves. One group I’m in had video calls to verify we were all women

If you’re revealing your personal life or political strategy etc in private, it isn’t unreasonable to want to know who you are revealing it to. An important weapon against both infiltrators and creeps will always be women talking to women. A lot of women do talk to one another

We know who women aren’t sure about. And who has crossed lines he shouldn’t have. (And occasionally, she). Women sticking together helps. If you’re an account who doesn’t have a network of Terven women friends and someone violates your boundaries, reach out to other women.

If someone mistreats you,makes you feel scared or otherwise gives you pause, come to one of the women you trust who has a longer established, a named or a bigger account. A lot of women are here for women and will listen. Ive been here years, and you can come to me too.

People who target women rely on you feeling powerless but you’re not. Just come find us.

Also, letting other women know that they don’t have to be your firm friend in order to come to you with their own concerns is useful.

There will be very few times a woman will tell you a serious thing about a man&be malicious about it instead of genuinely worried. Mostly she has given a great deal of benefit of doubt to him before she had her final straw and spoke to you. She deserves to be treated fairly.

And if you’re a good man in this movement, make sure your brothers know they can’t pull any nonsense on your watch. And tell your sisters, and mean it, that you will prioritise our safety and well-being no matter who it is who is transgressing

Stand with women ❤️