30 Incidents Where Men Stepped Up To Defend Women From Other Misogynistic Men
"I spend time with a lot of anarchists and have seen so many guys do the right thing within that community."
Misogyny can show up in ordinary places, from workplaces to casual conversations, and it often leaves women having to decide whether to speak up or stay quiet. In this Reddit thread, one woman asked about the moments when men stepped in to defend women from other men, especially when the defender was a stranger.
The responses highlight a frustrating pattern, women still run into sexist behavior, but they also remember the men who chose to intervene. Those moments can be small, blunt, or surprisingly memorable, and they say a lot about who is willing to stand beside someone when it counts.
Here is how the thread unfolded.
This is OP's question that has garnered a lot of responses
alwaysamenschThis person says it means a lot to have someone on your side, especially when things are already hard.
1. It means a great deal to have someone...
Prettypoppies244on your team, especially while struggling
Prettypoppies244
2. Boundaries should be set regardless of the severity of the misogyny
tabsmags
end of comment
tabsmags
That kind of comment says a lot about how casually some men try to talk down to women.
Why is it that when they call women 'sweetheart,' they feel like they’re doing women a favor by sounding nice?
s_in_progress
4. It’s like saying 'no offense' and then proceeding to say something offensive
marymakesmaps
5. Being in a male-dominated industry...
hensbanex
women are often looked down upon despite their capabilities
hensbanex
Sometimes the response is so direct that it shuts the whole thing down immediately.
6. That’s one way to cool them off
habitatforhannah
7. The guy was being a total villain in this story...
kobeng13
and he deserves to be silenced
kobeng13
8. Just because the field is full of men doesn’t mean that women lack the capability to surpass what they can do
untilthestarsfall3
9. Your impure thoughts shouldn’t be the reason women are condemned...
TheCloudsLookLikeYou
for doing what they want with their own bodies
TheCloudsLookLikeYou
10. No conflict, no 'who’s got higher testosterone' game, only the right things being done
AlabasterFart
11. This guy probably had the audacity to think women still wanted to be with him after that sexist remark
ButterfliesInSpace
Another story here shows how quickly a bad moment can turn into something much worse.
Speaking of family blowups, this is like confronting a brother-in-law over inappropriate behavior toward a sister.
12. Men don’t realize the trauma they inflict on women when they behave like this, and...
throwawayskeez
it would have been worse if someone hadn’t intervened
throwawayskeez
end of comment
throwawayskeez
13. Their parents must’ve been proud to raise them like that
justasianenough
end of comment
justasianenough
14. I doubt that it was because of that. It was probably an excuse to undermine the OP
GingerbreadUndies
15. Real friends would call you out when you're being offensive
marcyandleela
16. Why do people automatically think, 'she’s strong for a woman' when they see capable women?
grease-lightning-
17. Women can run the show, and they don’t have to prove themselves to misogynists
kalabeck
18. The old man probably witnessed this situation more than a couple of times
pl0ur
19. That kid made his problem ten times harder then
STEM_Babe
20. Women who dress for themselves to feel confident aren’t doing it for anyone else’s benefit but their own
andiaaa
21. See, if there’s no misogyny, everything would feel lighter
thatwillchange
Some of the best replies are the ones that keep it simple and unmistakable.
22. This woman has been fortunate enough to have good men in her life
iamthefoolofatook
end of comment
iamthefoolofatook
23. Get that dirty mouth out of here
BeerElf
24. Sometimes, younger men seem to have more sense to educate their friends
lostgirl19
end of comment
lostgirl19
25. We don’t do that anywhere
name_is_dan
26. Silent protective gestures were what prevented another unfortunate incident
nestoram
27. Women don’t deserve to do the grunt work...
SuitableLeather
due to the assumption that they wouldn’t fight back
SuitableLeather
28. They made sure he wouldn’t be revived to spew out more sexist remarks
passoire_
29. This OP may have witnessed a lot of misogyny but has also seen men stop other men
den-of-corruption
30. The other customer was right about his rudeness, and he couldn’t deny it
MimikyuMimikyu
If you witness moments like these, it helps not to look away. Being an ally can matter more than people realize.
Did any of these stories stand out to you? Share your own in the comments.
Wondering about loyalty under pressure? Read if my best friend’s hurtful comments cost my relationship.
