MAGA supporter Jay Katari resigns from EqualPride board after staff and reader backlash

The useful part

Katari previously donated $10,000 to Utah anti-LGBTQ+ former-Attorney General Sean Reyes (R) and mocks pronouns on his Instagram bio, listing his own as "dude/bro/guy/man/Jedi" (all of which are nouns, not pronouns). Please know that Qatari's position has not influenced our reporting," the statement continued. Katari, his wife, and children follow most of Trump's family members on social media.

How it works

• Reyes opposes same-sex marriage, LGBTQ+ workplace anti-discrimination protections, and transgender-inclusive school policies.
• 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.
• LGBTQ Nation contacted EqualPride, and EqualPride CEO Mark Berryhill responded with the following statement: I want to clarify Jay Katari's involvement with equalpride, which was limited to business growth,...
• Berryhill wrote that Katari "genuinely loves what we do at EqualPride and believes deeply in our mission." Berryhill's letter said Katari would individually contact members of the company's editorial and...
• 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."...

What to take from it

| screenshot to supporting MAGA, on March 18, 2022, Katari donated $10,000 to Utah's then-Attorney General Sean Reyes (R), according to OpenSecrets, a website that tracks political donations. The bio on Katari's Threads social profiles mocks pronouns, something conservatives do to discredit transgender self-identification. His bio states, "Pronouns – dude/bro/guy/man/Jedi." None of the words are actually pronouns, they're nouns — and all are used to refer to people of any gender.

Example or evidence

• I get that many media outlets, especially mainstream queer ones, need funding.
• Under our investment agreements, our lead investor group held the right to appoint two board members without separate votes or approval by the CEO or management.
• Going forward, the investor group has provided me with the right to appoint future board members.
• Berryhill's statement said that, after speaking with Katari on Tuesday morning, Katari made the decision to resign.

Details worth keeping

Related LGBTQ+ groups are suffering worldwide. Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form. Email Email Frequency Frequency Daily Brief Week in Review Week in Good News Sign Up "In an initial meeting today, we urged management to provide further clarification about Qatari and his role at Equal Pride, and are awaiting information," the statement added.

Related coverage

• Metroweekly: Jay Katari left the equalpride board after editors at The Advocate, Out, and Them objected to reports of his pro-MAGA social media activity.
• Washingtonblade: Online backlash against EqualPride grows as Trump supporter joins its leadership team.
• Thepinknews: Editors across several equalpride-owned titles issued a rare joint statement stressing their outlets' editorial independence and seeking clarity on the boar member's role.
• Nltimes: The leading editor of Ongehoord Nederland (ON!), Joost Niemoller, has resigned after the controversy surrounding the broadcaster
• Washingtonblade: Anna Jinkerson 'taking step back to move forward'