It is better to remain silent and be thought of as a fool, than to open one's mouth and be assumed to be a predator

I wonder why I am here. I appear to be here just looking at profiles and accepting pseudo-friend requests. No doubt some do make contact on here but in my experience with other similar sites, it is not with males. Some may say that if I am here looking for friends, social or otherwise, I should make the first approach.
I cannot argue against that except for one reason. The perception that many have about males.
Experience elsewhere has often shown me that any approach is treated as a sexual approach. I have had a simple "Hello" towards someone responded by "I am not here for sex!". This may not be the response every time, but similar replies appear to be more common. I have no idea why but two things do come to mind;
1 - A perceived increase in anti-LGBTQ+ activities, particularly towards the transgender community
2 - A perceived increase in males on transgender sites looking for sex
I do not believe there is a significant increase in either, it is just that the anti-LGBTQ+ activist and the macho-male perverts & trolls are being heard more because the supporters and social gentlemen are keeping quiet.
But why are we keeping quiet? Agin there are two reasons;
1 - Previous experience that we are all assumed to be here only for sex
2 - With any increase in anti-LGBTQ+ activities, anyone who openly supports LGBTQ+ will also become a target. Despite "awareness", particularly at work, there are still individuals who have personal opinions and can use their power to repress supporters.
I therefore accept that those who do not want to be contacted by males do so because of the increased problems but remember that the reason you may now only have been contacted by males looking for sex is because those of us who only want to be social, are keeping quiet.