Yeah, I need more information than that.

I wonder about it too. I mean, I used to be pursued by idiots all the time. But I left eastern Oregon, I grew more confident, I got older...And yes, learned that there's some groundwork to be done in advance if you don't want strangers randomly coming after you.

What I still don't get here is what the Anonie is doing wrong. Because either there is some sort of exaggeration at work here, or there's a factor we're not hearing about.

If you look effeminate but not confident, either skinny and weak or pudgy and soft, and a little bit scared looking, there's a darn good chance you'll get picked on like this, where their goal is to assert dominance. A bold and flamboyant gay man is probably less likely to get physically assaulted like this than someone who's just a bit gay seeming. You get some drunk jocks together, and suddenly they think they're still in high school with this shit. Usually there's just something going on that just says 'victim' about the person. It sucks, but a lot of the times there isn't really anything wrong with their actual attitude, it's just the way their face is shaped or some quirk of their posture. Like me, I seem to have gotten a reputation for hitting on people's girlfriends, despite the fact that I'm super respectful almost to the point of neurosis about not doing that, almost ignoring my friends' girlfriends entirely. For the longest time I had no clue wtf was going on, but I'm looking in the mirror one day recently, and notice that I have a tendency to arch my left eyebrow by default, particularly when I think I'm just smiling amiably, it comes out looking like a shit-eating grin, like some sort of Dreamworks expression. Turns out I'm a bit of an asshole without even trying! Good thing that eyebrow stays up when I'm scared, it comes out looking like I'm disgusted and trying to figure out whether it's worth the hassle to beat your ass.

I'd recommend this guy invest in some martial arts training. Nothing says 'get the fuck off me' like a hard elbow to the jaw followed by a thumb in the eye, then dragging your assailant to the ground by the hair or ear where you can proceed to stomp them properly. Aim for the lowest rib, it's a fairly easy one to break with a solid stomp and hurts like hell. Talk shit while you're stomping them like you're a barely-contained fucking psycho, it'll really make people think twice before starting shit with you. Done properly and quickly, you can take care of one guy with enough time to look up at his friends before they gang up on you. Get a good insane glare going, you can stop them dead in their tracks.

I was picked on a LOT for being fat and poor and smart and a bit effeminate in middle school. After getting the hang of dishing out vicious tongue-lashings to those who talked shit followed by truly brutal beatdowns to those who dared to make it physical, that all slowly trickled to a complete stop by sophomore year of high school. Because who wants to fuck with a guy who'll take you by the hair and smash your face against a radiator if you give him a wedgie?