In response to the news that The Atlantic fired Kevin Williamson as a columnist for the magazine's new ideas section, Nita Chaudhary, Co-founder of UltraViolet, a leading national women's group, issued the following statement:
"Kevin Williamson's views don't exist in a vacuum: His calls for the murder of women and writings that dehumanize black children and transgender people provide fodder for the systematic oppression of marginalized groups in this country. By offering Williamson a platform on a respected publication, The Atlantic helped to mainstream white supremacy, sexism and transphobia.
"The Atlantic's management, led by Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg, has exhibited deep moral bankruptcy by showing that they are willing to turn a blind eye to hate speech if it means generating more clicks. While we're pleased Williamson has been ousted, The Atlantic will not be able to wash this stain away."
An UltraViolet petition calling on Jeffrey Goldberg to fire Williamson has gathered over 25,000 signatures. You can view the petition here: https://act.weareultraviolet.org/sign/kevin_williamson/
Over 1,000 UltraViolet members have also submitted letters to Goldberg urging him to reverse his decision to hire Williamson.
