Many members of what's widely known as the kink community are outraged that Eric Schneiderman, in resigning as New York's attorney general, depicted his alleged violence toward several women as 'role-playing and other consensual sexual activity.'

Aficionados of kinky sex noted that Schneiderman's four accusers - which include two former girlfriends who spoke on the record to The New Yorker about his treatment of them - insisted they had given no consent which is considered obligatory among most practitioners of kink.

The women include his former partners Michelple Manning Barish and Tanya Selvaratnam.

In his initial response to their allegations, before announcing his resignation, Schneiderman said: 'In the privacy of intimate relationships, I have engaged in role-playing and other consensual sexual activity.

'I have not assaulted anyone. I have never engaged in nonconsensual sex, which is a line I would not cross.'

The Kink community has lashed out at Eric Schneiderman's claims that his alleged abuse of four women was consensual, rough sex and 'role play'. Schneiderman is seen above in January. He stepped down on Monday following the accusations

Tanya Selvaratnam (left with Shneiderman in 2017) and Michelle Manning Barish (right) who dated him between 2013 and 2015 both alleged abuse

Two of Schneiderman's former romantic partners, Michelle Manning Barish and Tanya Selvaratnam, came forward to share their allegations against him, which they classify as 'assault'.

Neither filed a police report at the time but both sought medical treatment.

Mistress Matisse, a member of the 'kink community' who lives in Seattle, said role play without consent was 'abuse'

A third former romantic partner, who was not named, shared similar stories of bedroom violence. A fourth woman, an attorney in New York, said Schneiderman made unwanted advances and then slapped her when she rebuffed him.

The story brought new attention to the world of kink that's often known as BDSM - standing for variations of bondage, dominance, submission and masochism.

The practice - though still a taboo topic in some respects - has made incursions into the cultural mainstream in recent years, in part because of the popularity of the 'Fifty Shades of Grey' novels and films.

However, some of Schneiderman's critics noted that 'Fifty Shades' hero Christian Grey meticulously negotiates a contract with Anastasia Steele before she agrees to submit to his demands.

The Schneiderman story was the topic of conversation on various online communities on social media and blogs devoted to the subculture of BDSM.

A Seattle dominatrix named Mistress Matisse called any non-negotiated encounter 'ABUSE. End of story.'

Others expressed hope that it would increase public understanding of BDSM and help highlight the distinction between its traditions and non-consensual violence.

Ronan Farrow, co-author of the New Yorker story that first revealed the allegations against Schneiderman, told CNN that the accusers made clear 'that this was not role-playing, that this was not 'Fifty Shades of Grey.' It wasn't in a gray area at all.'

Ej Dickson, an editor with MensHealth.com who writes often about dating and sex, wrote Tuesday that the kink community 'puts a premium on consent.'

'It is one of the very basic tenets of BDSM,' she wrote. 'Often, sex acts will be negotiated beforehand in the form of contracts, and either way, anyone practicing BDSM responsibly will implement a 'safe word' to make it clear if they are uncomfortable with anything happening.'

Others outside the kink community also pointed out the flaw in his claim that he didn't assault the women and that it was part of their sex life

Among those to weigh in on the issue on Monday was Donald Trump Jr.

There have been previous cases where a man accused of violence toward women contended that the incidents in question occurred during consensual 'rough sex.'

That was the gist of the defense by Jian Ghomeshi, a former Canadian Broadcasting Corp. radio host who was acquitted in 2016 of multiple charges of sexual assault involving three women. He was fired after the allegations surfaced.

BDSM author Jill Keenan said kink does not exist without consent just as sex without it becomes rape

The so-called 'preppie killer' Robert Chambers used a 'rough sex' defense during his 1988 trial for the killing of 18-year-old Jennifer Levin in New York City's Central Park. Chambers was convicted and served 15 years in prison.

The anger directed at Schneiderman echoed, in some ways, the LGBT's community's outrage at Kevin Spacey after he was accused by fellow actor Anthony Rapp of making sexual advances on him during a party in 1986, when Rapp was 14 and Spacey was 26.

Many gay activists were furious that Spacey, in asserting he didn't remember an encounter with Rapp, took the opportunity to come out as a gay man - a step he'd previously avoided despite long-running speculation about his sexual orientation.

Jillian Keenan, author of the BDSM memoir 'Sex with Shakespeare,' mentioned both Spacey and Ghomeshi in an email to The Associated Press reflecting on the Schneiderman case.

'Just as sex without consent is rape, kink without consent doesn't exist - that's assault,' Keenan wrote.

On Monday, Schneiderman resigned.

In a statement, he said: 'In the last several hours, serious allegations, which I strongly contest, have been made against me.

'While these allegations are unrelated to my professional conduct or the operations of the office, they will effectively prevent me from leading the office’s work at this critical time.

'I therefore resign my office, effective at the close of business on May 8, 2018.'