Jazzy Golfer on why she spoke out against abusive behaviour on social media

2:21 This is the message from Sky Sports presenters and reporters, who have united in supporting a new campaign aimed at raising awareness of online hate and abuse on social media

“I felt I was being called out for having an opinion they didn’t agree with, and the situation escalated. PGA Memes has close to 700,000 followers on Instagram, and lots of abuse came my way. I don’t mind people disagreeing with me, that’s fine. But some of the comments I was getting were absolutely vile and this was all because I disagreed with a meme.

“Quite simply, there was a post I didn’t find funny, so I commented on it. The line between comedy and offence is very flexible and varies from person to person. I totally respect that, and if people want to disagree with me, that’s fine.

Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Jazzy has been heartened by the volume of support and positive feedback she has received since publishing her video, with Cheyenne Woods (Tiger’s niece) leading the chorus of thanks for a job well done.

“I’ve also had hundreds – and I mean hundreds – of women sending me messages of support,” she added. “They’ve either thanked me for airing my story, or they’ve shared similar stories and incidents, online or at their local golf clubs.

“And I was shocked at the number of women who said they have stopped playing golf because of the way they have been treated on the golf course.

“It was all very sad to hear, so I thought it was the perfect time to record a video and talk about the abuse many women face online, because it is very prevalent. And I shared many of the more graphic messages I received so that people can fully comprehend the extent of the abuse.

“And all because I offered an opinion, and disagreed with something I saw on social media. But the amount of support I’ve received since publishing the video far outweighs the impact of the abuse I was getting.

“I thought that many would agree with me, simply because it’s hard to disagree that being abusive, sexist and violent towards women online is plain wrong. The reach the video got, and is still getting, is actually quite overwhelming.

“I’ve had support from presenters in the United States, professionals on the LPGA and Ladies European Tours, and loads of men as well. The feedback was fantastic, and the amount of people who shared my video on their platforms was vast.

Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland

location Courses View More Courses Locations View More Locations

Search

“I think it was right to speak out about this, based on the abuse I’ve received, that I’ve seen first-hand, and from what I’ve been told by my friends. We need to draw more attention to this issue and do more to identify the culprits.

“I have no doubt that many of them are married, family men, some with young daughters. What if we turned it on them, and asked them how they would feel if someone spoke to their daughter, or their wife, sister or mother in that way?

“It is unacceptable, but there are too many offenders who have no idea of the impact – both short and long term – of their actions.”

Hate Won’t Stop Us

Sky Sports is committed to making our channels a safe place for debate, free of abuse, hate and profanity. If you see a reply to Sky Sports posts and / or content with an expression of hate on the basis of race, colour, gender, nationality, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexuality, age or class please copy the URL to the hateful post or screengrab it and email us here.

For more information please visit: www.skysports.com/hatewontstopus

Sourse: skysports.com

No votes yet.
Please wait...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *