I fear, yes. I’ve been writing prolifically online now for about 5 years, mostly about LGBTQ and HIV issues. I have lost count of the number of death threats I have received. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve been called names over my sexual orientation. You name it: faggot, queer, pervert, depraved, etc.

But I’m not writing this comment to disagree with you at all. I know that many of my colleagues who are women get much more regularly abused then I do. I know that disrespect toward women is a huge problem and that it manifests ridiculously often on social media.

On Medium itself, I only get a negative comment like that maybe once every couple days. On Facebook and Twitter, it’s much more frequent.

I guess it’s very important to point out that homophobia, the expression of disgust or whatever toward gay men, has disdain for women at its core.

People who feel free to disparage a man for being gay are almost always saying that they hate men who are in their minds like women.

Sexism itself drives homophobia. Disdain for women drives homophobia. If these trolls who call me a faggot did not despise women they wouldn’t care that I’m gay.

We do have a very long way to go, and I am sorry you have to put up with abuse. It sucks.