New Gay Times editor suspended
THE newly-appointed editor of Gay Times has been suspended after posting offensive, antiSemitic and sexist tweets.
Josh Rivers, 31, became the UK’s first editor of a gay men’s magazine from an ethnic minority background when he took over last month.
But one of several messages attributed to him reads: ‘I wonder if they cast that guy as “The Jew” because of that f****** ridiculously larger honker of a nose. It must be prosthetic. Must be.’
Another post read: ‘Long day. How would I type that with Chinese accent? Wong way.’
In one about a woman he had seen, he wrote: ‘I’ve just seen a girl in the tightest white tank & lord help me if she’s not pregnant, she should be killed. #gross.’
The mixed-race British-American former marketing manager has apologised.
The tweets – which have since been deleted – were shared between 2010 and 2015, and were initially exposed by Buzzfeed News.
Gay Times said in a statement that his ‘past tweets do not align with the values of Gay Times, or any of our employees, in any capacity’.
It added: ‘Josh has been suspended with immediate effect while we investigate the facts. Appropriate action will be taken in due course.’
In a separate statement, Mr Rivers described his own messages as ‘horrible’, ‘hateful’ and ‘abhorrent’.
He said they came from a place of ‘deep self-loathing that I’ve worked hard to overcome’.
He tweeted: ‘ To every single person who is hurt, offended and disappointed: I’m sorry.
‘I have long taken steps to address the issues that prevented me from treating people with the respect and kindness I value so dearly now.
‘It is because of my past and my own awakening that I’ve since pivoted everything in my life towards supporting and empowering our community. It is upsetting that the damage I caused before has now resurfaced to cause more pain.’
He added: ‘I hope we can use this as an opportunity for growth, for healing, for moving forward. As evidenced by my own example, there is so much work to do.’
Mr Rivers’ appointment was announced on October 27, when he told media magazine The Drum he was picked for his ‘ keen eye for detail, well-honed leadership skills and the ability to execute vision’.