Jay Katari has resigned from the board of equalpride, which owns The Advocate, Out, and Them.
The news comes one day after queer and transgender editors and other editorial staff at the country's leading LGBTQ+ newsroom demanded answers about Katari's expanded role in the company and his reported expressions of support for President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. Independent journalist Kevin Ortega-Rojas first reported on Katari's social media history, including an image of him wearing a red MAGA hat.
Equalpride CEO Mark Berryhill announced the departure in an email to employees Tuesday afternoon. Katari's name and biography were immediately removed from equalpride's website, where he was listed as a board member and a role as "Strategic Advisor, Growth & Innovation."
Related: Leading LGBTQ+ newsroom confronts parent company over board member's MAGA support
"I have decided to step down from the Board of Directors of equalpride," Katari said in a statement shared by Berryhill. "My intention was simply to volunteer my time and experience to support the incredible team and the important work they do for the LGBTQ+ community."
Katari said he "never intended for my involvement to cause disruption within a community I hold dear and deeply respect," and wished the company continued success. He did not address the social media activity related to MAGA politics behind the controversy.
Berryhill also disclosed how Katari reached the board. Under equalpride's investment agreements, its lead investor group could appoint two directors without CEO or management approval. Katari joined through that process. The group has now given Berryhill authority to appoint future board members, he wrote.
The resignation followed The Advocate's report Monday that staff from The Advocate, Out, Them, Pride.com, Out Traveler, and Plus had pressed management for answers and publicly distanced their journalism from Katari.
"Our editors became aware of concerning reports this morning that Jay Katari — one of the board members of our parent company, equalpride — may have espoused beliefs that are antithetical to the mission of our brands," the editorial teams said in a statement Monday. They emphasized that Katari had not influenced their reporting.
Their statement followed an investigation by Ortega-Rojas, who documented social media activity that he said showed Katari wearing a MAGA hat, circulating pro-Trump imagery, mocking former President Joe Biden, and following Trump family members and administration officials. Ortega-Rojas identified no public statement in which Katari directly attacked LGBTQ+ people, but he appeared to make fun of the trans community in his Instagram bio, where he lists, "Pronouns- dude/bro/guy/man/Jedi." Those are all nouns.
The revelations rocked the company's editorial division, whose journalists cover the Trump administration's campaign against LGBTQ+ rights. Since returning to office, Trump has erased federal recognition of gender identity, restricted transgender passports and military service, targeted gender-affirming care, and rolled back protections for LGBTQ+ students.
The controversy erupted two weeks after Berryhill told employees he had "full confidence" in Katari and asked them to prioritize meetings with him. On Monday, after editorial staff raised concerns about their publications' credibility, Berryhill halted the meetings and said Katari would never influence editorial decisions.
"Our focus now is on strengthening our brands, and continuing to support the stories of our LGBTQ community," Berryhill wrote Tuesday.
The editorial team applauded news of the resignation and the action taken by management.
"As a small team of queer and trans journalists, we were deeply concerned by reports that an equalpride board member had a history of expressing support for Donald Trump and his MAGA agenda on social media. Given this administration's attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, it was immediately clear to us that his involvement with the company was untenable," the editorial leads of The Advocate, Out, and Them said in statement.
"We sincerely appreciate that CEO Mark Berryhill and the Board of Directors swiftly held the necessary conversations that resulted in the resignation of that board member, Jay Katari. Our commitment to the mission of The Advocate, Out, and Them remains unwavering: We will continue to report independently, without fear or favor, and follow the facts where they lead, to bring you — our readers — accurate, timely, and important news that the LGBTQ+ community relies on."
Editor's note: The Advocate is owned by equalpride. Its editorial team signed the joint statement described in this report.
This article originally appeared on Advocate: Equalpride board member steps down following report of MAGA support
Leading LGBTQ+ newsroom confronts parent company over board member's MAGA support