Nah, I'm pretty good with abstract thoughts, that's exactly why your analogy confused me. What you say is that nobody should be surprised when he will get some heat, when he walks up to Peta members, while skinning a deer. This is logical, because of their ideals as animal lovers. Harming an animal in front of animal lovers (don't get hung up on the word harm) will usually not yield great results. This is self-explanatory. I don't understand how this is related to gaming however, if you do not suppose that this is a boy's club, with rules made by said boys. The analogy also clearly indicates that female players are provoking a male gamer, simply through playing a game. This is the case because you talk about skinning a deer. Something that provokes the animal lovers. What exactly are female players doing, that they deserve harassment? What's the provoking action in your analogy for the female gamer , if not playing a game itself? Your last point would be correct, if female gamers wouldn't get harassed in a way a male would never experience or could imagine. However, I disagree with the notion of female and male behaviour being similar in all situations. Sociologic studies have clearly shown that this is not the case.