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| Gay Times editor sacked over offensive tweets fronted campaign for online safe spaces | Gay Times editor sacked over offensive tweets fronted campaign for online safe spaces |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| The editor of Gay Times who was sacked after a fortnight when it emerged he had previously posted a series of racist and transphobic tweets, fronted a campaign for online safe spaces just days before losing his job. | The editor of Gay Times who was sacked after a fortnight when it emerged he had previously posted a series of racist and transphobic tweets, fronted a campaign for online safe spaces just days before losing his job. |
| Josh Rivers called for people to behave respectfully to each other online, in adverts for a dating app for gay men. | Josh Rivers called for people to behave respectfully to each other online, in adverts for a dating app for gay men. |
| Chappy pledges to provide a safe space in which "discrimination by race, religion, disability, gender identity, age or anything else is strictly forbidden". | Chappy pledges to provide a safe space in which "discrimination by race, religion, disability, gender identity, age or anything else is strictly forbidden". |
| It urges users to pledge to "commit to treating their fellow members with respect, kindness and honesty, without judgement or bias". | It urges users to pledge to "commit to treating their fellow members with respect, kindness and honesty, without judgement or bias". |
| Mr Rivers was fired when it emerged that between 2010 and 2015 he had sent a series of offensive tweets. | |
| One anti-Semitic post said: "Jews are gross". Another mocked a transgender person as looking "like a crackhead". He also mocked children with learning disablities. | One anti-Semitic post said: "Jews are gross". Another mocked a transgender person as looking "like a crackhead". He also mocked children with learning disablities. |
| Mr Rivers, a former marketing manager, was suspended earlier this week and later sacked. | Mr Rivers, a former marketing manager, was suspended earlier this week and later sacked. |
| He has previously described the Chappy campaign as "deeply encouraging, and a welcome first step towards making dating apps more welcoming places for our community, in all its wondrous diversity." | He has previously described the Chappy campaign as "deeply encouraging, and a welcome first step towards making dating apps more welcoming places for our community, in all its wondrous diversity." |
| After the offensive posts emerged, the app removed Mr Rivers from a promotional video in which he prominently featured and said he would no longer play a role in the campaign. | After the offensive posts emerged, the app removed Mr Rivers from a promotional video in which he prominently featured and said he would no longer play a role in the campaign. |
| In a statement issued to The Independent, its co-founder Ollie Locke said: "It saddens us to see the tweets Josh Rivers, editor, Gay Times made between 2010 and 2015. Whilst we accept he is a different person entirely today - one that is dedicated to creating equality and diversity - it is incredibly disappointing. | In a statement issued to The Independent, its co-founder Ollie Locke said: "It saddens us to see the tweets Josh Rivers, editor, Gay Times made between 2010 and 2015. Whilst we accept he is a different person entirely today - one that is dedicated to creating equality and diversity - it is incredibly disappointing. |
| "It's important to state that we had no reason to believe Josh ever felt that way, about anyone. To our knowledge, he had only ever displayed a relentless passion for inclusion, empathy, understanding and ensuring there was a platform for the voices that are so seldom heard. It was that passion that led to his appointment as Gay Times editor. | "It's important to state that we had no reason to believe Josh ever felt that way, about anyone. To our knowledge, he had only ever displayed a relentless passion for inclusion, empathy, understanding and ensuring there was a platform for the voices that are so seldom heard. It was that passion that led to his appointment as Gay Times editor. |
| Mr Rivers has apologised for the offensive tweets and said he had been "a really unhappy person who lashed out at the world around him” when he wrote them. | Mr Rivers has apologised for the offensive tweets and said he had been "a really unhappy person who lashed out at the world around him” when he wrote them. |
| He later tweeted: “To every single person who is hurt, offended and disappointed: I’m sorry. The tweets are horrible. They are abhorrent. They are ugly. They are so hateful. These tweets from my past show a deep self-loathing that I’ve worked hard to overcome. 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.” | He later tweeted: “To every single person who is hurt, offended and disappointed: I’m sorry. The tweets are horrible. They are abhorrent. They are ugly. They are so hateful. These tweets from my past show a deep self-loathing that I’ve worked hard to overcome. 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.” |
| In a statement,Gay Times said: "We sincerely apologise for the offence that has been caused, particularly to those members of our wider community to whom such inappropriate and unacceptable commentary was the focus." | In a statement,Gay Times said: "We sincerely apologise for the offence that has been caused, particularly to those members of our wider community to whom such inappropriate and unacceptable commentary was the focus." |
| It added that it did "not tolerate such views and will continue to strive to honour and promote inclusivity." | It added that it did "not tolerate such views and will continue to strive to honour and promote inclusivity." |