ANOTHER week, another woman hounded off Twitter. This time, it was the turn of Claire Heuchan, a black feminist writer who recently won an award at the Write To End Violence Against Women Awards. Just a few months later, Heuchan's treatment online underlined why it's so important for organisations to keep highlighting gender issues in the media, whether it be in journalistic content itself or the treatment of women who dare to put their names to it.

What was Heuchan's apparent crime? It was to write about nationalism and racism; to offer her view on something that deserves constant discussion and reflection in any decent society.

Following Sadiq Khan's comments drawing a connection between Scottish nationalism and racism, Heuchan penned an article for the Guardian arguing that Khan had good reason to raise the issue. She wrote that there was an “obvious overlap” between nationalism and racism, and continued with a thought-provoking piece.

But soon she found herself on the receiving end of a deluge. As ever on social media, a feminist of colour offering a glimpse of the world was just too much for the racist pond-life that stalks open forums and newspaper pages for targets.

Don’t get me wrong, I had disagreements with the piece, and I wasn't afraid to air them. “White SNP supporters and their allies had never experienced racism,” Claire argued, effectively erasing the horrendous experience of the Irish in Scotland for decades. But ultimately, for me, framing racism within the parameters of the nationalist vs unionist debate was just misleading: Scotland's independence movement was characterised by self-reflection and an acknowledgement of an uncomfortable history rather than fuelled by it.

The contrast of the subsequent Brexit vote further highlighted the civic nature of events in Scotland. Non-UK nationals were invited to vote in Scotland's referendum because they are part of our society, but Westminster excluded them from the EU referendum vote after a debate dominated by anti-immigration rhetoric.

Scotland absolutely has its problems with racism, bigotry, homophobia and other forms of poisonous discrimination – you'd be hard pushed to find a society that doesn’t – but rather than typify a generic view of nationalism underpinned by racist tendencies, Scotland bucked the trend. A couple of years before the referendum, I'd have been a No voter. I've always considered myself to be internationalist and outward-looking; my response to nationalism and patriotism has always been suspicion and the fear of malicious political control through the politics of division.

But the Scottish independence movement moved the goalposts. Rather than a fear of flag waving, I found myself drawn to people talking about radical politics and a chance to do things differently – not only for those in Scotland, but with a view to having a positive impact on the wider world.

While I still hesitate to self-label as a nationalist – I'm as much an internationalist as I ever was, even more so post-Brexit and post-Trump – I'm a lot less bothered about others slapping the label on me. In a Scottish independence context, it's no longer a threatening term.

For Khan to miss the significance of that shift in politics shows a real misunderstanding of the movement.

But while the bigger picture is important, so is the personal experience. While I think comparisons between nationalism in Scotland and racism are overblown, to say the least, Claire Heuchan’s perspective is important. How we in Scotland, unionist or nationalist, respond to that really matters.

And so it is disturbing that within hours of her article appearing she'd quit Twitter because of the ensuing abuse she received.

I can testify similar experience. I, too, have received xenophobic and misogynistic abuse for having the cheek to write a few opinions down. Because of my political viewpoint, much of that abuse has come from the unionist population on Twitter.

And therein lies the crux of this: it is a mistake to frame this latest incident in the context of the national question. The truth is far more basic: if you are a woman with a view and you use social media, you are likely to suffer. If you are a woman of colour, it will be compounded by racism. If you are LQBTQI+, homophobic abuse will be hurled your way. Any characteristic that trolls can stick a label on will be exploited as a button to push. Why? Because fundamentally, regardless of politics or subject matter, they are bullies.

It is vital that people from all sides of the political divide unite to condemn yet another attack on a woman raising her voice, no matter how often it happens. Bullies respond to strength, so flex your digital muscles.