Leandra Medine Cohen announced late Wednesday that she is stepping back from Man Repeller after readers called her out for a lack of diversity in content and employees. She received backlash for a blog post she wrote, Where Do We Go From Here: A Message for the MR Community, as response to the anti-racism protests and the Black Lives Matter Movement. In the post she wrote that she would take a more steady, sustained approach in her coverage and other ways Man Repeller would be changing to be more inclusive.
Readers called Cohen out on Twitter and in the comments with former employee, Sabrina Santiago, writing: “As a former POC employee that was let go during COVID-19, this ‘apology’ is a slap in the face. I have not been reached out to in any capacity. I hope everyone sees that this is another performative attempt to cover racist actions.”
Other readers accused Man Repeller of being “tone deaf” and catering to “skinny white rich cis women.”
In an Instagram post yesterday Cohen wrote: “Man Repeller was founded to celebrate self expression in all of its forms but it has become clear that I’ve failed to deliver on this mission. The team deserves a chance to show you what Man Repeller can be with me on the sidelines so I’m going to step back and let them show you.”
“You were right — even though I’ve been able to write so intimately about every other experience of my life over the past decade, I’ve fallen short here,” Cohen continued. “That’s because this is more than just an exploration of my feelings. It’s my ignorance. Ignorance is part of the problem. Separately, Man Repeller and I will be part of the solution.”
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