I was also on this call. It was the first time I've experienced Zoom-bombing (which Kate handled with such grace), but it was far from the first time I've heard a random man scream misogynist comments within earshot.

For men, I want to explain what this is like. 1/ https://twitter.com/kate_manne/status/1300951218580226049

Imagine you're going about your business, and suddenly you hear a tiger growl loudly nearby. You know that the tiger is unlikely to attack you if you leave it alone. Nevertheless, the tiger saw fit to make its presence known. This is startling. 2/

There may also be many other people around who could help you, or who the tiger might attack instead. But there is no guarantee anyone will step in, and you honestly aren't sure yourself how you would react in the moment if it attacked someone else. 3/

Until you leave the area, you will now be thinking about the tiger and the possibility, however small, that it could hurt you. You might be thinking about it long afterward.

This is what it's like to get harassed, whether on Zoom or on the street. 4/

It has never stopped being startling for me. This is both a human reaction and a privilege. As a white cis woman, I get harassment directed at me much less often than WOC, particularly trans WOC. That harassment is also less likely to escalate to violence. 5/

Still, you know that it could. You know others are unlikely to step in. You know because you have been harassed many times before, and no one has ever stepped in. You also know this lack of intervention signals to other men that they too can get away with harassment. 6/

When a man Zoom-bombed this call and called Kate a "stupid bitch," I heard a man in downtown DC who screamed "fucking bitch" at me as I walked past. When this man told Kate to suck his cock, I heard multiple men telling me to do the same thing as I waited for the train. 7/

Here are some things you can do as a man, if you witness harassment:
-Call out the harasser, loudly. Tell him his behavior's out of line. Draw attention.
-Ask the woman if she's okay. Don't be surprised if she says yes. She may want to get out of the situation ASAP. 8/

I don’t have specific suggestions for Zoom-bombing (esp. once it's happening & security protocols are beside the point), since this is relatively new and the harasser is usually kicked off quickly. If you have ideas from your own experience, please share! /fin