I mean seriously, the type of man who refuses to wear a mask in public while there is a GLOBAL PANDEMIC going on is the same type of guy who refuses to wear a condom because it dOeSn'T fEeL gOoD.

It speaks volumes about his character and values: he prioritizes momentary feelings of pleasure or comfort over the safety of others, and even over his own long-term quality of life. They are also selfish and stupid, they literally just don't care about other people's lives or their own.

These days, most of my interactions with men are at the gym. My gym's reopening policy is that people must 1) wear masks, 2) maintain social distancing, and 3) wipe down equipment before and after use.

(FYI I am not American, my country actually managed the COVID response well enough to flatten the curve and reopen the economy like 2 months ago)

It drives me crazy how almost NONE of the men are following the rules, and I'm mad that my gym isn't properly enforcing it. They wear masks when they check in so they won't be denied entry, then take them off or pull them below their chin when they start working out. They rarely wipe down machines, and don't socially distance. The staff don't do anything.

This is why I mostly work out in the women's section, because men are literally walking vectors of disease, and because women DO actually follow the rules. Unfortunately, some of the equipment I like (squat racks, glute ham raise) are exclusively in the co-ed section.

Since reopening, I go to the gym 4x per week and almost every single time, I get cold approached by at least one man anytime I step outside the women's section. I rarely got approached before quarantine. Probably some combination of 1) Guys are way more thirsty now, and 2) I now wear a sports bra and yoga pants when I work out which men seem to think is an invitation. Before, I mostly wore baggy clothes. I lost 30+ lbs. during quarantine so I finally feel confident enough to expose my midsection. (And no, male lurkers, I don't dress this way specifically to attract men, I dress this way because it's summer and hot outside and I feel more comfortable)

All of these men (except two of them) were NOT wearing masks. When they try to talk to me and stand too close, I throw up my hands and say "woah there, social distancing" while taking a few steps back, and I cut the interaction short as quickly as possible.

Frankly I just don't have the patience to interact with men who are so blatantly selfish and knowingly putting other people's health at risk. Just... the AUDACITY. Ugh.

And yes, I know it's still risky of me to be going to the gym at all. I do my best to minimize risks by wearing a mask, not touching my face, washing my hands periodically, wiping my phone with sanitizing wipes, wiping down equipment before and after use, and socially distancing.

Edit: I've been bombarded with messages from triggered males with the usual "notallmen" "some women don't wear masks!" and "hurr durr you can't make me wear a mask MUH FREEDOMS!"

Yawn

Really, I don't see why this is so controversial. YES, men are less likely to wear masks than women, and YES, people who don't wear masks are selfish jerks!

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-53446827

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/16/men-masks-coronavirus-protests-masculinity-kills

https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200518/men-say-masks-not-cool-less-likely-to-wear-them