Teen Vogue editor-in-chief resigns amid backlash over anti-Asian tweets
New York, New York – Alexi McCammond was set to take over as Teen Vogue editor in chief, until some racist and homophobic tweets from her past resurfaced on the internet.
"I became a journalist to help lift up the stories and voices of our most vulnerable communities. As a young woman of color, that's part of the reason I was so excited to lead the Teen Vogue team in their next chapter," McCammond (27) began her resignation announcement.
She continued, "My past tweets have overshadowed the work I've done to highlight the people and issues that I care about – issues that Teen Vogue has worked tirelessly to share with the world – and so Condé Nast and I have decided to part ways."
McCammond, formerly a political reporter at Axios, had not yet started in her new role at the fashion magazine when complaints started pouring in about tweets she made when she was 17 years old. The messages reproduced harmful Asian and LGBTQ stereotypes.
Examples of the 2011 tweets include "Now googling how to not wake up with swollen, asian eyes…" and "Give me a 2/10 on my chem problem, cross out all of my work and don’t explain what i did wrong...thanks a lot stupid asian T.A. you're great."
The controversy is particularly notable in the context of a recent surge in attacks on Asian Americans, which culminated in a man shooting up three Atlanta spas and killing eight people.
The magazine publisher was apparently aware of the tweets before McCammond was hired, but after staff members raised concerns and the issue garnered wider media attention, they now believe it would be best to part ways, The Daily Beast reported.
"We've heard the concerns of our readers, and we stand with you. In a moment of historically high anti-Asian violence and amid the on-going struggles of the LGBTQ community, we as the staff of Teen Vogue fully reject those sentiments," the employees wrote in their letter.
Going forward, McCammond says she has "redoubled [her] commitment to growing in the years to come as both a person and a professional."
She concluded, "I hope to have the opportunity to re-join the ranks of tireless journalists who are shining light on the issues that matter every single day."
Cover photo: IMAGO / UPI Photo