The Leading Male Writer And The Shannon Ashley Saga.

A writer’s travails has shown the best and worst of our platform.

For anyone who reads other writers as often as I do, you will need no introduction to Shannon Ashley and her articles, detailing her health and life struggles.

You will have read about her attempts to raise money to pay for her surgery and the crucial steps that she has taken, thus far.

There has been extraordinary support from the likes of Jessica Wildfire, who has backed up the ferocity of her articles and political convictions with a write-up supporting Ms. Ashley and asking others to follow suit.

There have been other female writers on this platform, who have acted accordingly and thrown their weight behind supporting a much loved colleague, who is in need of financial support to get through a very difficult moment in her life.

But what has been extraordinary has been the profoundly ugly response of one of the very top writers in our space.

His name?

I think that you all know exactly, to whom I am referring.

Firstly, there was the subliminal attack on Ms. Ashley, which I was slightly appalled by and to which I responded in the screenshot from Shannon Ashley’s article.

My Tweet response screen shot from Ms. Ashley’s article.

You would think that being called out will lead to some contrition and humility from our antipodean colleague?

No, instead he doubles down and proceeds to go all out in attacking Ms. Ashley, without mentioning her once. But we aren’t stupid, any idiot can quickly surmise at whom the insults are being directed. The extraordinary screen shot below speaks volumes.

Screen Shot from Ms. Ashley’s article

To think that this level of playground abuse would come from a “leading player” on this writing space, to whom many gravitate and listen, is simply, unconscionable and unforgivable.

If this happened in the workplace, we would be absolutely right in calling it bullying and psychologically abusive behaviour, and yet, there hasn’t been universal condemnation, from those who operate here, especially, the men.

Doesn’t it say something about our gender? doesn’t it say a lot about the degree to which we condone bullying behaviour? doesn’t it say a lot about our cowardice and complicity?

However you choose to look at it, this is reprehensible behaviour and one that should be punished heavily. If we were unprepared to accept this from Donald Trump, why should we be prepared to accept this from anyone else?

It’s time to pick sides.

And I for one stand with Shannon Ashley.

Question is, with whom do you stand?

Thanks very much for reading.