What do I mean when I say that I have libertarian sympathies?
By this, I mean that people should be free to make their own decisions and commit their own mistakes — even if the fuddy-duddy right or the nannying left deems it is wrong. I believe, unlike most feminists, that women shouldn’t be infantilized to “protect” them. I believe that people and institutions should be allowed to develop until it’s obvious they are causing harm (or are likely to), and then they should be reined in — not preemptively.
I lean to the side of freedom of choice and individual judgment, particularly each individual judging what is right and proper for him or her, as each person has the most information about their self and their circumstances. No “protecting from harm” liberal or “Jaysus will strike you down” conservative will be able to do better than that.
That’s why I say I have libertarian (small “l”) sympathies.