Dear Readers, Now is a heavy time. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the outrage over another count of police brutality, we ask if we may make a simple statement: we stand with victims. It was brought to our attention that a writer who was previously published by Marías has committed acts of sexual harassment against other womxn and femme folks in the literary community. We do not condone his actions, and we will no longer support or publish his work. We apologize to those we hurt by keeping his work up on our site. Now that we know of his actions, we will be sure to remove all posts of and by him. We apologize if this is improper protocol; however, as a publication that aims to be inclusive and supportive of marginalized communities, we cannot in good conscience keep his work on our website. Again, we stand with victims. The literary community has to realize the structures that allowed this writer to continue their despicable actions for two years and for it to go unnoticed to the writing community at large. This should have been brought to light sooner, but victims, especially womxn, are legitimately scared of losing their writing careers and or receiving hate for speaking out against a beloved figure in the literary community. We have to do better for victims. We cannot allow them to feel isolated or alone. We have to be better for womxn. If there's anyone we previously published who has harassed you or someone you know, please feel free to reach out to us. You are not alone. Thank you for your time, love, and support. We hope to continue to provide and cultivate a safe space for writers. Sincerely,
Keana Aguila Labra, Editor-in-Chief of Marías at Sampaguitas & The Marías at Sampaguitas Staff