Atheists, mostly male, show sexist side

Rebecca Watson meant it as a funny story, almost an aside. In a video
blog, the popular skeptic blogger recalled a man following her into an
empty elevator and inviting her up to his room after she spoke about
feminism at a European atheist conference last June.

Watson told
of rebuffing the advance with a bit of a laugh. Her blog and other
atheist/skeptic blogs were soon flooded with comments. Many women told
of receiving unwanted sexual advances at freethinker gatherings. Some
men, meanwhile, ridiculed Watson as overly sensitive or worse—or
threatened her with rape, mutilation and murder.

"I thought it was
a safe space," Watson said of the freethought community. "The biggest
lesson I have learned over the years is that it is not a safe space and
we have a lot of growing to do."