I think it’s a lot harder for a woman to come off as creepy than a man. (Standard “within the culture I’m familiar with” disclaimers apply.) I’ve been made uncomfortable by girls when in high school, but not really “creeped out”. You almost have to go to the level of movie villain before they start getting creepy.
The female version that I have encountered is a sort of… obsessive and misplaced motherliness, maybe? Usually starts with nosiness and unsolicited advice — creepy only in that the person will have no understanding of what subjects are off limits, and will completely ignore any attempts you make to communicate “I am not discussing this” — and moving on, if allowed, to total control over all actions, opinions, and basically your entire life. The rages, if you (say) do not like a tv program they’ve told you to, are ugly, manipulative, terrifying things.
I think it’s a lot harder for a woman to come off as creepy than a man. (Standard “within the culture I’m familiar with” disclaimers apply.) I’ve been made uncomfortable by girls when in high school, but not really “creeped out”. You almost have to go to the level of movie villain before they start getting creepy.
From a comment to the Ursula Vernon essay below: