The online social justice hate mob descended on one of their own, causing a Latino writer to lose his editor-at-large position over accusations that he is actually a bigot.
Writer Gustavo Arellano, who is known for his ¡Ask a Mexican! column, was hired by the Latin-focused publication REMEZCLA. Soon after news of his new position spread, there were calls for him to be fired due to various vague charges of bigotry, including allegations that is anti-black, anti-trans, and anti-Indigenous:
@REMEZCLA hiring Gustavo Arellano is not a small decision to make. You are aligning yourself w anti-black, anti-indigenous, homophobic, transphobic ideology; all which is actually status quo in latin america and that we need to push back on, but i guess reMESScla doesn't agree
— Wilfre (@Wilfreyfrey) January 3, 2018
hi y'all unfollow @REMEZCLA to let them know we won't tolerate them hiring an editor who is anti black, trans phobic, and homophobic. Gustavo Arellano needs to go if they want to actually support queer, trans, and/or black Latinxs
— javier (@bodegaprincess) January 4, 2018
They hired OC Weekly's Gustavo Arellano who is known to have anti-black, anti-trans, and xenophobic (particularity towards Central Americans) views.
— Alexander Vogel (@san_frijol) January 4, 2018
@REMEZCLA lost almost 5,000 followers today because they hired #GustavoArellano whom is known for being transphobic, anti-Central American and homophobic. It might not seem like a lot, but online organizing is key in movements ahead. 👌🏽
— Raquel Cruz-Juarez (@_raquelcruzj) January 4, 2018
Guess there goes one publication I’m never pitching to again. Thanks for prioritizing LGBT folks, Black people, and Central Americans @REMEZCLA#BoycottGustavoArellano pic.twitter.com/rqIuMiwXoc
— Queer Xicano Chisme (@QueerXiChisme) January 3, 2018
gustavo is an anti-black, anti-LGBT+ piece of shit and @REMEZCLA hiring him just shows that they align with his disgusting views. gustavo is also known to have immense anti-central american sentiments. how that garbage can be given a platform is beyond me. #BoycottGustavoArellano
— stevie nicks' long lost daughter (@nativexicana) January 3, 2018
While most of the allegations against Arellano do not actually cite anything he allegedly did “wrong” to deserve being called a slew of –ists and –isms, one post on Twitter claims Arellano deserves the anti-black label for having the audacity to say Latinos have their own slurs to refer to blacks, comparing it to the n-word:
Since Gustavo Arellano is making the rounds again, here he is arguing why he as a Latinx writer is entitled to use the N-Word. #BoycottGustavoArellano pic.twitter.com/Tpg1OTljRa
— Dichos de un bicho (@DichosdeunBicho) December 22, 2017
Ultimately, due to the backlash and the “#BoycottGustavoArellano” hashtag, REMEZCLA decided to “dissolve” their partnership with Arellano:
— REMEZCLA (@REMEZCLA) January 4, 2018
Although REMEZCLA apologized, it did not stop people from expressing their anger that he was hired in the first place:
I'm not gonna analyze the statement too much, but I would've appreciated an apology to the people they hurt/marginalized by this hiring decision. Even outside the current climate of rote, empty, non-apologies, this is just a boilerplate business statement repeating hollow ideas.
— #SaveTPS 🇸🇻 💙🎶💅🏼 (@TwitNumeroUno) January 4, 2018
No, what’s embarrassing and bunk is hiring a man who is openly xenophobic and uses slurs. That language obviously isn’t being reciprocated by the consumers. We don’t want it. So maybe go make a publication who caters to the people who do— call it “Machismo Weekly”
— isabella (@bellmarinnn) January 4, 2018
It doesn’t matter if your online persona responded to matters such as “My Undocumented Girlfriend Is Scared of Donald Trump” and “How Much Does It Cost a Mexican to Cross the Border Illegally?” it doesn’t matter if you happened to said one thing once that, taken out of context, offends someone on the internet.
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