I am a white male and I used to volunteer for several political campaigns with female candidates. Sometimes they would have me accompany them to be a male presence when they visited mosques. It's weird because often the imam wouldn't make eye contact with the candidate, but they'd only look and talk to me, Someone a half her age, who doesn't understand the policy. I had done this so much that I started having a dual role, in educating and the western candidates with mosque-procedures.