She’s a future leader!

YES

I agree.

Priorities!

Agree. But they don’t actually respect that man. They just say “but he don’t mind if you have friends, right?” “I have a boyfriend” really only works because some men think it’s the only possible way THEY could be rejected when mama said they were so handsome!

I've found it most effective to say I have small children...

Yup. A decade ago, single and gay, I'd tell men I was afraid of that I had a boyfriend so they'd leave me alone. I hate that that worked and hope times are changing. I also hope that other people are in safer situations, can honestly tell pursuers "no," and have that be enough.

I never thought myself as being chauvinistic or anything, I actually like women who can take care of themselves and beat men at their own games.....but when I come across stuff like this, I'm embarrassed to be male!! But I tell you what, I have woman friend that has always been a huge man-basher, as she is highly intelligent and does anything she wants, and has put several men "in their place".......but she also found an awesome man that found all of that attractive and they got married and had kids. So, there are decent men out there that don't play all those BS games, you just have to find them.

I agree but him backing off after you say you have a boyfriend is because he assumes you are in a relationship and he is respecting that, but I also think that he should respect you even if you are not in a relationship

I've told men I'm married - and this happened multiple times - and got this exact response: "Do you cheat?"

The other way around there seems to be no respect. "I have a girlfriend" apparently means it has become a challenge.

I think this is not about respecting a male authority more than a female decision. My impression is that many men have learned that "No" means "Try harder". But if you tell them you are taken, they realize that you are not actually playing games. And some women do play games and teach men those assumptions.

I have a tazer gets no arguments

Fr it’s so disgusting and sad

not sure I agree here. " I have a boyfriend" is the rejection of an offer. An offer is perfectly harmless if made in a responsible manner.

Nothing but the bro-code. Women have noting to do with it.

Nah. I just say "I have a knife"

I have seen this happening the other way around. It's equally frustrating. I think it's because many people want a justification for being rejected. They go away thinking "she/he would have said yes if it wasn't for the boyfriend/girlfriend". Imo, it's ridiculous.

You're not going to be alone until you're not someone possession

Are they respecting the man more, or are they getting the hint, "I already have what you're trying to sell"? I've seen both. The profoundly sexist jerks usually wouldn't care if you had a boyfriend...

if guys think you are taken then they back off usually.. also they dont want any big strong guy coming after them, perhaps.

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They don't respect that. They just cannot be bothered with it. And I think this one is wrong anyway. I don't think "I have a ..." will stop most guys from harassing most girls.

I say I have a wife and they still don't leave me alone... It's scary as.

I just say 'I am a lesbian' (which is actually true)

That's an American thing. In Germany it's no need to come up with this phrase.

USA is such a weird country. You have to show up at HR just when you open a door politely. Or compliment a dress of a women. For all US woman that's already harassment. This kind of women I wish to end up alone, in their life, bitter and miserable.

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Umm by saying you have a boyfriend simply means that he won't be your boyfriend... it respects your choice of bf and commitment towards him...

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This is how you see the things, but me, as a woman I see it in a different way: when a woman says she has a boyfriend/partner it means that she is committed to that relationship and not interested in something else, which will make the "harasser" to stop wasting his time. Respect to a dude who probably is not even there, is very unlikely what makes them stop.

DAMN!

But men do say "I hate women" and other statements like that all the time. Half of all Boomer jokes boil down to "wife bad".

So true

For those saying "not all men," that also proves the point. It was never the clothes. Still, people continue to blame women for dressing "provocatively."

My friend told me she was so happy she is turning 40, because finally people have stopped with the baby questions, because now they think maybe she does not have kids because she is too old. And now she does not have do defend herself for not having kids. Jeez, why can't people just back off? Like, do people ask a women questions like that because they think they forgot to have kids and they need to be reminded?

It isn’t logical, it’s sexist and ageist and pro forced birth, and by nature illogical.

And you know... controlling themselves instead of blaming others for their actions...but I’m an atheist who is going to hell. What do I know, besides they have crazy lit parties in hell.

Absolutely!! We don't even wear makeup or paint our nails to impress men. If there were no men in the world we would look exactly like we do now - but wear much less clothes....

The lesson that we can take from all this is that people need to keep their nose out of other people's private parts. End of story.

And yet it's been given such a negative connotation :(

So many issues approached in just a dozen words. Clever girl.

Try it with race too. "First White Astronaut", "First White President."

Yep, in my country they give condoms for free, to help prevent spread of STDs, many people want them to do this with Tampons, Heck, even just get rid of the VAT on Tampons.

How do we get this higher up the list?

"How convenient it was when we could assault them and they would just shut up... good ol' times"

Not just "every woman you know", just "Every Woman".

Most of the action taken to protect women from sexual assault helps men as well. The activism, even when based mostly on cases involving women, results in gender-neutral legislation.

I truly hate the phrase boys will be boys.