Speaking Out

The fall 2014 firing of CBC personality Jian Ghomeshi brought intense scrutiny of our lifestyle to the Canadian media. We all play on the fringes, but most of us, as Ghomeshi claimed, "do nothing wrong" when we play our extreme games with consenting partners. Many of us pursue vanilla lives without ever having our two sides clash.

When this kind of conflict between employer and BDSM practitioner comes to light, it's an opportunity for those of us who want to ensure acceptance of our choice of lifestyles to speak out. It is important that we take sides in these debates, and present and support what we believe in: negotiation, consent, and the freedom to do what we enjoy without doing harm.

Ladyfish has been often interviewed, and has ably and fairly presented us in the best light possible. Please speak out yourselves on this issue with your friends in our community and outside. We do not take sides in this without knowing the facts. It is, however, important that other people understand that we are a large and growing community that will not stand by and see one of its own unfairly targeted. Let's at least expect that we be held innocent until charged and convicted, that that conviction is not obtained in the court of media opinion.

Fisherman

• 2014/10/27 CKNW Drex interviews Ladyfish on Jian Ghomeshi
  980 AM Victoria
• 2014/10/29 CBC On the Island's Gregor Craigie interviewed Ladyfish at 7:10 am
  90.5 FM Victoria