April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Sean K. Reynolds wrote in response to this:

April is sexual assault awareness month.
• Touching another person in a sexual manner or sexual part of their body without their permission is sexual assault or sexual battery. Making unwanted sexual comments about someone is sexual harassment.
• Don't tolerate this behavior in a game store, comic book store, convention, or at your gaming table. Or anywhere. Don't excuse it, don't explain it, don't downplay it.
• Don't let strangers do it. Don't let acquaintances do it. Don't let your friends do it. Don't do it.
• Speak up if you see it. It'll be awkward for a minute, but you're a gamer, you're used to being awkward. You feeling awkward for a minute is better than someone else feeling assaulted.
• Yes, gamers are usually socially marginalized people. That doesn't mean they should get away with groping, harassing, or sexually assaulting anyone.

I've addressed some of this before.  You don't need to know which of these issues I can identify with personally. Let's leave it at I've been lucky, but I've got more experiences than I want.

I'm a woman. And a gamer.  I've experienced sexism in gaming. I've experienced sexism in life.  It pisses me off.  I choose my battles.  People suck.

The author at Latining writes (among other things in her lengthy post):

Astute readers will note there is no specific provision for internet harassment, although death threats are one of the most prominent and effective ways of driving women and POC from communities. While the topic of online harassment has centred around white women, it is not uncommon for any minority to receive death threats and other forms of intimidation when they express their concerns with the gaming community’s acceptance of racist, sexist, homophobic, and otherwise bigoted behavior.

Rules of life:

• Try not to be a jerk;
• Don't let your friends be jerks;
• Respect other human beings as you want to be respected;
• When in doubt, keep your hands to yourself.