YES, BUT FEMINISTS ALWAYS CLAIM “SPECIAL VICTIM” STATUS. IT HELPS DISGUISE THAT MOST OF THEIR COMPLAINTS ARE FUNDAMENTALLY TRIVIAL, AND ACTIVATES MALE WHITE KNIGHTS. Cathy Young: All writers, not just feminists, are targets on the Web.

Internet harassment of women, especially feminists, has emerged as a major cause for concern in the past year. Last month, Brooklyn-based writer Michelle Goldberg published an op-ed at washingtonpost.com whose headline speaks for itself: “Feminist writers are so besieged by online abuse that some have begun to retire.” But is this a genuine issue that disproportionately affects feminist women, or a plea for special sympathy and privilege? . . .

It is true that cyberspace can be a toxic environment. Political arguments easily turn to nasty personal attacks — and in some cases, to harassment and threats. Whether any of this is specific to women or to feminists is another question. Women are more likely to be targeted for sexualized threats (and more likely to perceive them as frightening). However, a Pew Research Center study last year found that online threats of physical violence are more often directed at men, and both sexes are equally likely to report experiencing “sustained harassment” on the Internet.

Yeah, but pointing that out blows the narrative. Plus: “Feminist complaints about online abuse often seem to conflate stalking and threats with general nastiness, or even harsh criticism. This is especially ironic given that the same feminists often engage in online behavior that qualifies as verbally abusive.” Yes, even not-so-harsh criticism gets called “harassment.”