Why Am I Getting the Finger?

 

During the last four months of weekly protesting, I have noticed that 99.99% of the people who yell obscenities at me or give me the finger are men. For three weeks straight, a man in a black BMW slowed down just to give me the finger. Why?

Obviously, these men have a First Amendment right to disagree with my Free Speech. I ignore them, but I still wonder why a grown man would give the finger to a “little old lady” holding a $1.50 sign from the used-to-be-dollar store? I wanted to understand so I began reading research (sources listed at the end). Here are a few reasons I discovered about why I am getting the finger.

Political or ideological opposition. A person may give the middle finger to show complete contempt for my cause, especially if they view my message as unreasonable, damaging, or counter to their own beliefs. By giving me the finger men can silently signal their strong disapproval and hostility toward me.

A sense of belittlement. A person might feel that my protest is a challenge to their way of life, authority, or sense of social order. The gesture is used to belittle me and my cause.

Emotional expression. The middle finger is a simple, nonverbal way to express strong emotions like rage, frustration, or displeasure. The anonymity of being in a car can make people feel emboldened to express these feelings without fear of direct confrontation.

But why so many men?  I had a theory but decided to see if there was any research on why so many men respond with aggressive words and gestures to protesters. I came across a theory called Precarious manhood (PM).

PM theory suggests that, unlike womanhood, manhood is not an automatic or permanent status. It must be actively achieved and publicly demonstrated. This theory also posits that because the status of being a "real man" is hard to earn and easy to lose, men may respond to threats to their masculinity with aggression. Research has connected these dynamics to voting behavior, support for aggressive policies, and political violence.

Research describes some elements of the precariousness of manhood. Here are a few:

Aggressive compensation: To reassert their masculine status, threatened men may engage in compensatory behaviors, including acts of aggression, dominance, or risk-taking. In the political arena, this can manifest as political aggression.

Political aggression: This is defined as the endorsement of political stances, policies, candidates, or strategies that signal strength, toughness, and force. Politics provides a socially acceptable and highly visible way for men to display their masculinity vicariously.

Reinforcing masculinity: Its use in a confrontation with a protesting group or single protester (me) may be a way of asserting dominance or toughness.

“Taken together, our findings support the notion that men who are likely to doubt their masculinity may support aggressive policies, politicians, and parties, possibly as a means of affirming their manhood,”

The studies' authors emphasize that their results do not suggest that precarious manhood is only relevant when it comes to aggressive policies or support for the political right. They propose that future research should consider whether PM shows itself among the political left.

In the meantime, I will “keep on keepin’ on” expressing my First Amendment rights knowing, for whatever reason, some man will most probably give me the finger. 

Sources:
DiMuccio SH, Knowles ED. Precarious Manhood Predicts Support for Aggressive Policies and Politicians. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2021 Jul;47(7):1169-1187. doi: 10.1177/0146167220963577. Epub 2020 Oct 13. PMID: 33048007.

Vandello, Joseph A., and Jennifer K. Bosson. “Hard Won and Easily Lost: A Review and Synthesis of Theory and Research on Precarious Manhood.” Psychology of Men & Masculinity, vol. 14, no. 2, Apr. 2013, pp. 101–113.

Wintemute, GJ, Velasquez, B, Robinson, S, Tomsich, EA, Wright, MA, Shev, A. “PREPRINT: The MAGA Movement and Political Violence in 2024.” Centers for Violence Prevention, 25 June 2025, cvp.ucdavis.edu/research/preprint-maga-movement-and-political-violence-2024. Accessed 21 Sept. 2025.