Rooster CCO Gavin McInnes Asked to Take Leave of Absence

Gavin McInnes, chief creative officer of Rooster in New York, has been asked to take an indefinite leave of absence following the publication of a transphobic essay. 

Published earlier this week on Thought Catalog, "Transphobia is Perfectly Natural" has at publication received 2,082 comments. It has also sparked a "Boycott Rooster" movement, with Tumblr and Twitter accounts asking followers to let Rooster clients—Vans, Red Bull, Fox Sports and others—know they will not support companies that work with McInnes.

"Gavin's views are his own and do not represent those of the company or its members," said a Rooster representative. "We are extremely disappointed with his actions and have asked that he take a leave of absence while we determine the most appropriate course of action." 

McInnes co-founded Rooster in 2010 as an agency that would make ads for people who hate ads. He has appeared in the shop's work for Vans, most recently as the man who explains how to do absolutely everything.

Prior to that, he co-founded Vice Magazine. McInnes has made controversial comments publicly before, with essays on Thought Catalog and contributions to Fox News. Though, due to the tone of his work, some are unsure if it is meant to be taken seriously. 

McInnes could not be reached for comment.