Gavin McInnes, the author of what is considered by many to be one of the most offensive op-eds written about transgender people, has been asked to take a leave of absence from the ad agency he helped to create.
Shortly after McInnes' essay, "Transphobia is Perfectly Natural" was published, GLAAD reached out to editors at Thought Catalog, who published the piece, to convey how horribly offensive the piece was. Thought Catalog editors didn't respond and didn't take the essay down. However, under continued pressure from transgender advocates, has placed the essay behind a full-page warning that reads, "The article you are about to read has been reported by the community as hateful or abusive content."
Now, McInnes has found that the public outcry he has stirred has also impacted his professional life. Rooster, the ad agency that McInnes helped to create and currently serves as COO, has asked him to take a leave of absence. Rooster issued a statement, distancing itself from the op-ed:
"Gavin's views are his own and do not represent those of the company or its members. We are extremely disappointed with his actions and have asked that he take a leave of absence while we determine the most appropriate course of action."
In addition, writers like Parker Marie Molloy, who has written significantly for Thought Catalog, as well as for The Advocate, has asked that their work be pulled from Thought Catalog:
As for the book of mine that @ThoughtCatalog published... I will donate all future income from that book to various trans advocacy groups.
— Parker Marie Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) August 13, 2014
GLAAD will not link to the article on Thought Catalog, even while writing this blog post. Driving traffic to the site and the post only raises its popularity. We will continue to reach out to the editors of Thought Catalog to explain why publishing patently offensive items like McInnes' is harmful.