Feminist and video-maker Anita Sarkeesian was forced to leave her home in California due to the disturbing death threats she received on her Twitter account, Bustle reported.
The threats made against her were spurred by her efforts to highlight the negative portrayal of women in video games and other pop culture products.
In 2012, Sarkeesian launched a Kickstarter project to fund a series of short films titled "Tropes Vs. Women." The films mainly focus on how women are represented in popular games. Her videos are uploaded on YouTube and her website, Feminist Frequency.
Since the release of the first "Tropes Vs. Women" video, a lot of people have inappropriately criticized and abused Sarkeesian because of her works. These range from posting abusive comments on her video to vandalizing her Wikipedia page.
Some even created a game using Sarkeesian's picture so players can assault her.
Although Sarkeesian is already used to the online bullying carried out by her criticizers, the latest attack caused her to fear for her own safety.
Apparently, a person made an account on Twitter using the name Kevin Dobson to solely abuse Sarkeesian, according to Venture Beat.
In a series of tweets, Dobson talked about raping her and killing those close to her. What scared her the most is that the Twitter user knows her exact home address.
After receiving the tweets, Sarkeesian contacted law enforcers and left her home to stay with her friends.
"I'm safe," she tweeted. "Authorities have been notified. Staying with friends tonight. I'm not giving up. But this harassment of women in tech must stop."
Despite the traumatic experience, Sarkeesian is still determined to continue her work in educating the public about how women are treated in pop culture media, New Statesman reported.
"These are serious threats of violence, harassment and slander across many online platforms meant to intimidate and silence," she said. "And it's not okay. Again, don't worry, this harassment will never stop me from making my videos. Thank you for all your support."
