And, yes, I’ve seen all that nastiness directed at Rebecca, which is also way beyond the pale, probably more so than the invective directed at DJ.

In her blog post and in further comments, Ashley says she didn’t feel like the harassment was worth reporting to JREF staff or hotel staff at the time...

To say that I did not think it was worth reporting is a lie and an egregious one at that.

I am extremely lucky that there were other witnesses, I hate to think what other women who’ve been harassed are thinking right now. What would people be saying about me right now if I hadn’t had half a dozen other people there? I mean, considering what they’re already saying.

I hate posting about this stuff. I absolutely despise it, because it’s hard to deal with the comments and it’s hard to relive all the harassment — and not just that one incident, but the lifetime of cultural shame and guilt and horror and anger that comes with every incident. I think what some people are missing is how much that can hurt and how difficult it is to expose yourself like that. Should women report it? Absolutely, but it’s really difficult to do so because it is painful and when people act the way DJ is acting right now, it makes it even harder.

DJ Grothe, I don’t know how else to say this, so I’ll just come out with it.

I am a woman. I am a skeptic. And you are making TAM look incredibly unappealing. I have no desire to be treated the way Ashley is being treated now (both by you and by others who are not associated with TAM specifically) if I am sexually harassed or assaulted. If this is the response that a woman receives after being publicly subjected to behavior that is clearly abusive, what hope do women have if their abuse [were] private or less severe?

This kind of response does not inspire confidence. Perhaps you can consider that when examining your low reservation rate for women.

We want TAM Las Vegas 2011 to be a welcoming experience for everyone who attends . . .

Please respect your fellow attendees by not disparaging them based on unfair grounds such as race, gender, sexual orientation, and disability; and by not making uninvited sexual comments toward others.

If someone asks you to leave them alone or to otherwise stop a behavior that is directed toward them, please do so. Continued unwanted behavior directed toward another person is harassment. People who harass others or cause multiple complaints of disrespectful behavior may be required to leave without a refund.

Problems can be reported to TAM staff or volunteers who will bring it to the attention of JREF management. A warning will be given when appropriate, but there will be zero tolerance for violence, physical intimidation, and unwanted intentional physical contact.

Let’s make TAM fun for everyone!