I totally forgot I posted this. I have to be fair about the radio hosts. They did the right thing eventually. After a failed "sorry you got offended" non-apology, their listeners expressed displeasure and with some serious advocating from GLADD and various trans people some of the station's larger sponsors threatened to pull their ads (Chipoltle and Snapple, and I think Bank of America).
With this pressure the hosts apologized and stopped their show for a week. Then they invited a local Trans woman and the moother of a trans child to talk for the whole segment. They discussed the problematic comments, had callers, and generally did some good education.
I think the hosts and station did the right thing. They fucked up, they missed their first chance to apologize - this happens. The shining moment was after realizing what happened and that real actual people were hurt and offended they made amends. It isn't that they made ignorant comments, it is that they took their mistake as a chance to learn and educate others.
We all start not getting some issues (sexism, homophobia, racism, anti-trans bias whatever). It's how we handle ourselves when we learn that our prejudices and opinions are challenged. The hosts and station did that.
|