Fired Gay Times editor Josh Rivers lashes out at ‘racist’ criticism of his horrific tweets
(Twitter/_joshrivers)
Josh Rivers, who was fired as Gay Times editor after tweeting horrendous remarks about practically every minority group, has lashed out at the “racialised” criticism of him.
“Look here, tranny. 1) you look like a crackhead 2) YOU’RE A TRANNY & 3) your wig doesn’t deserve a mention,” read one particularly horrific post.
(Twitter/_joshrivers)
Rivers, 31, sent this steady stream of offensive tweets – dozens in all – in 2010 and 2011, when he was in his mid-20s.
Gay Times suspended Rivers three hours after his posts came to light, then fired him the next day, less than a month after he became editor.
(Twitter/_joshrivers)
He apologised after the tweets became public knowledge, saying that the posts showed “a disregard for others”.
But in an interview posted this week on YouTube by interviewer Lee Gray – who has 41 subscribers – he hit out at white people for their criticism of him.
(YouTube/Lee Gray)
“There have been different types of feedback,” he told Gray, “and it has been racialised.”
He continued: “White feedback has been: ‘Ha ha! Ha! Ah ha!
“And it’s so – it’s actually that cut-and-dry. Black and white, as it were!”
Later in the interview, he said: “I think this situation was designed to silence me, and to knock me off my path, but it hasn’t worked.”
(Twitter/_joshrivers)
Among his offensive tweets was one which said: “I hope that piece of machinery that asshole lesbian next door has been using since 8am cuts off her goddamn hand.”
Another read: “Jews are gross. It’s the only religion with ‘ew’ in it”.
(Twitter/_joshrivers)
Rivers also lashed out at people who called on him to vociferously apologise for his racism, transphobia, homophobia, antisemitism, sexism, ableism and fat-shaming.
“People wanted me to participate in some sort of public self-flagellation,” he complained.
“They wanted to see me beat myself up and beg, and say: ‘I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.'”
(YouTube/Lee Gray)
He admitted: “I used to be a little dickhead,” but claimed that the LGBT community could see he had reformed from his tattoos, which include a quote from black writer James Baldwin.
Over the course of the half-hour video, the interviewer told Rivers: “I definitely have your back.”
In return, the disgraced former editor spoke to Gray about “philosophy” and “a Cherokee fable”.
(Twitter)
The story involved a virtuous white wolf and bad black wolf, with Rivers appearing to attempt to excuse his offensive posts through the tale.
“While the black wolf is anger, resentment and fear, he’s also ambition and drive, and tenacity,” he said.
“So actually you have to feed both.”
(Twitter/_joshrivers)
Rivers also told Gray: “There’s something to be said for imperfect.
“And I’ve tried my entire life to be so perfect, and for what?”
Rivers spoke about LGBT people of colour as a community which he hoped to “represent,” saying he wanted to “be a voice within it and for it.”
(Twitter/_joshrivers)
One of the tweets he was fired from Gay Times for posting read: “Waitress from next door just got back from Africa & told me I should go soon.
“Do I look like I’m trying to get killed? Jog on, honey.”
(Twitter/_joshrivers)
Speaking about Gay Times, he told Gray: “It was worth me stepping away and stepping back and letting that good work continue to happen.”
Rivers, who also revealed he was launching a podcast, was, to be clear, fired from Gay Times.
Watch the full interview here:
