With her particular specialty and the attacks on education, I would put her in the grouping of likely to be targeted. Once that happens, it is probably too late to leave.
As far as going to protests, I’ve seen those pics too and they are truly inspiring to see! I have imagined that all have a support system, though I could be wrong. I’m currently unable to stand or walk for long periods and hoping I am able to fully recover. Until then, Im in a state we moved to as adults, haven’t made any real local friends, don’t have kids or other family in the area, work different hours in a different city than my S.O. We are also in a red county in a red state that posts in our neighborhood sites freely, about being violent to any non-magas. I.e., running into the protesters with lifted trucks, doing drive-bys of their 2a rights, and get cheered on from the others on there. I had to go far from home to one of our big cities to attempt to protest for a little bit just so I could feel safer with a crowd. Luckily I am still able to drive or even that wouldn’t have been possible.
She is speaking up and bringing her expertise to those who can put the information to more strategic use. I will take all the help we can get.
Some of do wish we were tall. Not all of us care what a potential mate finds “cute”. We want to be able to be safe wearing seatbelts instead of higher chances of decapitation. We want to be responded to like adults, especially in our 40’s, instead of treated like children. We want to be independent while working on and around our homes without fear of falling of stools and ladders to put dishes away or calling a man for help. Being told a job your interested in wouldn’t be a good fit, because of your size…
I even have pairs of “shit stompers”, as my friends call them, platform boots that give me about 2 1/2 inches more height so I can be self-reliant. Sold as “clubbing boots” but I wear them regularly for mundane shit.
Getting literally looked down on, by everyone, everyday, gets really tiring, especially after decades of it. I am 5"3 (so not even THAT short) and can’t see shit in large crowds besides asses and backs. Have been actually stepped on by tall folks (even people just at 5’6"… like, come the fuck on) who don’t realize there are people shorter than their eyes and don’t care to look down. My head gets hit by average and tall people’s elbows (hard) in club or crowd environments because again, they have no idea someone can exist below their eyeline, or just don’t care. Can’t go to bars or clubs alone because we are easy “marks” so we need an adult or a man to accompany us, to dissuade sexual preditors.
Anyone remember vehicles with bench seats? How degrading is it to not be able to reach the pedals because the seat only has 3 notches, and the closest one is still for people taller than you? Getting told “you should get yourself a booster seat” like I’m a kid in a restaurant.
Not every girl wants to be “cute”. Some of just want to “be”, and be safe. Self defense classes really drilled into my head the dangers of “looking like an easy mark” it’s assumed short women won’t put up as much of a fight and are easier prey. Learned to carry a “big” presence, and found a lot less sketchy characters would try to approach me. Staying that alert is fucking exhausting and makes going out, at night, in cities, to large parking lots, to bars and clubs, to concerts, a lot less enjoyable.
Sorry for the rant. But just because some folks might see short as cute, does NOT mean we short folks concur, or see that “cute” makes up for the rest of the shit and dangers we have to deal with. Or, even want to be “cute”.