UP-UPDATE 4/8: So, Medium enforced the take-down of at least the quoted, private texts, as per clearly stated rules, which, by the way, are there for all our protection, and it appears Heather took the post down. But now Heather cries foul and continues to catastrophize her — what I still can’t help but see as a — false victim stance, under the guise of a feminist allegedly silenced and threatened by a man. I feel for her, I really do, in all sincerity. Read on if you care to know my concern, being fairly new to this place…

UPDATE 4/8: I was blocked after posting only the message below the divider (which is fine — to each one’s own in blocking), and an inflammatory response to this was posted, then deleted. I have tried to let this go, and I want to avoid drama, but it troubles me as I emerge on Medium myself, wondering how safe my words will be, how open I may be to harassment, and how people in this space would respond. So while I tried to let this go, I can not remain a bystander to harassment. My view has nothing to do with the gender of either person, but merely the harassment present, in clear, objective violation of Medium’s rules.

After a little research, I can’t help but read this response by Heather as harassment, too, toward a woman eloquently voicing her life experience. When someone tried to push back on Heather’s cruelty toward this other woman, Heather stated, and I quote her publicly posted words:

“And because she posts here, she should be adult enough to endure critiques and criticisms of amd [sic] yes: emotional reactions to her work.”

Yet every challenging response by someone else to Heather’s recent harassment is met with belligerent vitriol (and blocking, but again, to each one’s own in whom they block). Meanwhile, many posts by Heather end with “Namaste”, while she addresses other women as “cunt” on Twitter.

Oh, the irony. Albeit a sad, tragic irony.

Maybe this tirade against this other woman, unprovoked in any way, while also serving as editor of a publication Alto has worked hard to build (Heather referred in her post to responses outside of the publication relevant to being removed from CG), one that clearly honors diverse voices, maybe this has something to do with Alto asking Heather to leave Crossing Genres, which it seems was the beginning of their strife? Such harassment on the part of the editorial staff of a publication is destructive to the credibility of any legitimate publication. Sure, Alto could definitely have worded himself better and I imagine he regrets that, including how he initially responded to this post the other night, but it is also clear we are not seeing the entire context and story, even though Heather is all gunz a’ blazing in attacking and demonizing Alto.

Here’s the thing: A reading of Heather’s past words shows that hers is a powerful voice, and her life experience easily draws my and others’ compassionate sympathy. I most sincerely empathize with her struggle. Some of her posts break my heart for her, and for all who endure some of the challenges she has endured. However, I hope readers of her post don’t confuse compassion and honoring her voice with the condoning of harassment on Medium, as Allan’s quoted, private communications remain posted without his consent (and she continues to paint him as a bullying silencer of women), in clear violation of Medium’s rules, and again, while very likely not telling the whole story, as some people much more in the know than me have tried to point out.

Some have shared with me (women & men) since I tried to speak to this that while they wish to support Alto and know more of the story, but they fear reprisal by Heather if they speak up. Is this not concerning to anyone? What kind of community am I emerging into? Let us not confuse emotional support for one person with condoning the direct harassment of another — whether you believe it is justified or not, even though it’s clear none of us on the outside have all the info. For, even while you may believe it to be justified, if such a clear line is blurred, what does that mean for all of us?