Josh Rivers has been suspended by Gay Times just weeks after his appointment

The editor of Gay Times has been suspended just weeks after his appointment over a string of offensive tweets - including some aimed at members of the LGBTQ community.

Jews, lesbians, straight women, Egyptians, Asians, Chinese, transgender people, obese people, mothers and bus drivers are among the groups of people that Josh Rivers took aim at between 2010 and 2015.

Within hours of the posts being discovered, Mr Rivers had been suspended by Gay Times, and he subsequently issued a grovelling apology over Twitter.

The tweets - which have since been deleted - were shared between 2010 and 2015 and were initially exposed by BuzzFeed News.

One read: 'I wonder if they cast that guy as 'The Jew' because of that f****** ridiculously larger honker of a nose. It must be prosthetic. Must be.'

He is said to have described transgender people as 'tranny', while another reportedly read: 'Long day. How would I type that with Chinese accent? Wong way?'

Others hit out at lesbians and a number of posts abused 'fat' or 'ugly' people.

In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, Gay Times said Rivers's 'past tweets do not align with the values of Gay Times, or any of our employees, in any capacity'.

'Josh has been suspended with immediate effect while we investigate the facts. Appropriate action will be taken in due course.'

In a separate statement, Rivers described his messages as 'horrible', 'hateful' and 'abhorrent'.

He said they came from a place of 'deep self-loathing that I've worked hard to overcome'.

Rivers posted on Twitter: 'To every single person who is hurt, offended and disappointed: I'm sorry.

'I have long taken steps to address the issues that prevented me from treating people with the respect and kindness I value so dearly now.

'It is because of my past and my own awakening that I've since pivoted everything in my life towards supporting and empowering our community.

Within hours of the posts being discovered, Mr Rivers had been suspended by Gay Times, and he subsequently issued a grovelling apology over Twitter

'It is upsetting that the damage I caused before has now resurfaced to cause more pain.'

He added: 'I hope we can use this as an opportunity for growth, for healing, for moving forward. As evidenced by my own example, there is so much work to do.'

Rivers's appointment was announced on October 27, when he told media magazine The Drum he was picked for the role for his 'keen eye for detail, well-honed leadership skills and the ability to execute.