There is a great post by Shiney Happy Meeples about inclusivity, which includes her bravely relating her personal experience.

Which got me thinking. I have no idea what she has had to experience. Frankly I won’t. 

I’m white, I think being 48 makes me middle aged-ish, male, and heterosexual. I am as the title of this post says “the man”. 

Because of the birth lottery it came up me!

I’ve not had to experience sexual abuse, harassment, discrimination because of my gender, colour, sexual preference. 

I have experienced bullying. But that’s a different story, which I will share someday.

However because I am in this position of privilege I do have responsibilities.

The first is to not let these things happen on my watch. So if I see this stuff happening it is beholden of me to step in and stop it. To speak up.

The second is for me not to be a source of this hate. But to be welcoming and include everyone.

It’s difficult to write about inclusion being from the demographic that is probably the source of the majority of the problem.

All I can hope is that when the chips are down that I am brave enough to stand up for those that are being abused. 

I think I will leave this post there. It’s a tough one, and a subject we can’t bury our heads in the sand about.