After facing scathing criticism for promoting a “women’s empowerment” panel consisting only of men, SJ Magazine announced it was pulling the plug on the event.
The South Jersey-based publication promoted the panel, unironically dubbed “Women in Business: A man’s point of view,” on Twitter on Monday. In response, HuffPost reporter Yashar Ali expressed incredulity in a tweet that promptly went viral.
Reaction to the all-male panel, which would’ve included New Jersey state Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald (D) and ESPN correspondent Sal Paolantonio, was blistering:
SJ Magazine initially defended its decision to host the all-male panel, saying it had organized three other panels in its “women’s empowerment” series that included female speakers.
“Men have a responsibility to step up & support women & we want to start the discussion,” the publication said in a follow-up tweet.
A few hours later, however, the magazine announced it was canceling the event.