Problematic Details Article Mocks Bisexual Women and Lesbians
January 15, 2010
In its January edition, Details magazine published an article by Ian Daly titled “The Lure of Dating an Ex-Lesbian: so-called hasbians are going for straight guys just like you!” In this piece, Daly misses an opportunity to increase bi visibility and instead defames women who have dated both women and men, dubbing them “hasbians” or “ex-lesbians.”
Daly sites various pop culture references in an attempt to prove that being a lesbian is passé or no longer trendy as it was in the 90’s, and reaches the conclusion that as a result of this more women are “switching” to male partners. Additionally, he lumps bisexual women with male partners into the category of “hasbian” notably ignoring the definition of bisexuality.
Daly makes a dubious claim that a bisexual woman is somehow “shifting” when entering into a committed relationship with a man. A bisexual person is someone who is physically, romantically, emotionally and/or spiritually attracted to men and women, but by Daly’s definition, once a bisexual person enters into a committed relationship with anyone, they’re “shifting.”
Daly writes:
“There are no reliable statistics by which to gauge how many refugees there are from the isle of Lesbos. Bisexual women, for instance, don’t have to “switch teams” to enter into relationships with men, even if they’ve lived with other women for decades. But if the hasbian (and for simplicity’s sake, we’ll include bisexuals who’ve shifted from women to men) really is having a coming-out moment, it might be because the lesbian had her big coming-out moment in the nineties—the decade that saw Cindy Crawford shaving k.d. lang on the cover of Vanity Fair, the birth of Lilith Fair, and the mainstream popularity of lesbian-friendly folksingers like DiFranco, the Indigo Girls, and Dar Williams, not to mention a slew of literal “coming-out moments” set off by Ellen’s “Yep, I’m gay” in 1997.”
Without any real knowledge or statistics (the one fact Daly concedes, and yet his own admission on the dearth of statistical data does not preclude him from continuing with his absurd premise) and a handful of pop culture references and interviews with men who have supposedly “landed” a woman who was once involved with another woman, the author spins an elaborate tale naming these isolated incidents as a cultural sea-change in which masses of (uncountable) women are drawn to opposite sex relationships.
He even suggests that a woman’s “biological clock” might be affecting her “sexual proclivities.” In other words, as a woman reaches child-rearing age, even one who has never experienced an attraction to men, might be more inclined to find a male partner in order to reproduce. If the author of this article is unfamiliar with the numerous same-sex couples, many of which include a bisexual partner, who are happily raising children right now, GLAAD would be happy to provide contacts for him to interview.
The article ends with a disturbing segment in which two people who identify as “ex-gays” are quoted. This is particularly offensive given recent news reports on the link between American “ex-gay” activists and Uganda’s virulently anti-gay legislation. The American Psychological Association adopted a resolution in August of 2009 invalidating the efficacy of “ex-gay” treatments and discouraging mental health professionals from telling their patients that it is possible to change their sexual orientation.
Below is an interview with Rachel Maddow and Richard Cohen, the author of the book, Coming Out Straight: Understanding and Healing Homosexuality and head of the International Healing Foundation, in which she clearly links ex-gay activists with the proposed Uganda bill.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
This irresponsible article perpetuates misconceptions about lesbians and bisexual women and damages our community. GLAAD urges you to contact Details and express your concerns about this piece.
Related Posts:Saying No to Defamation in Mexico/Diciendole No a la Difamación en Mexico
January 12, 2010
GLAAD is proud of the work done by Mexican activists in the wake of defamatory remarks by Esteban Arce, host of the daily show Matutina Express, watched by millions of viewers on Televisa station 4TV.
On a Dec. 21 segment Arce asked guest Elsy Reyes, a sex researcher, to explain the difference between sexual orientation and preference. When Reyes tried to explain that preference was incorrect, and that sexual orientation is a characteristic with which one is born, Arce interrupted several times to interject his prejudices about gay people, asking her pointedly if homosexuality was “normal,” and arguing he didn’t think it was. Arce has made defamatory comments in the past.
Countless viewers were offended and many of them, at least 18 emailed their complaints to Conapred (Consejo Nacional para Prevenir la Discriminación) which then filed a formal complaint against Arce.
Even Televisa owner Emilio Azcárraga Jean weighed in on the issue. He tweeted that the attention garnered by this was being taken into account. Azcárraga then gave out Arce’s twitter address @estarc62, which resulted in his getting some 3000 tweets. Arce claims 60% of the public backs him.
Mexican activists have started a Facebook page called Esteban Arce Fuera del Aire (Esteban Arce Off the Air).
In the U.S., individuals who saw the show on You Tube complained to GLAAD. We then shared those complaints with activists in Mexico City. GLAAD was interviewed on the subject on TV Notas, the popular weekly television magazine and on Chicago radio show Homofrequencia (90.5FM), where we discussed the connection between defamation, prejudice and violence.
Thank you to those of you who wrote to alert GLAAD about Arce’s comments and congratulations to Mexican activists and allies for raising their voices against defamation.
Diciendole No a la Difamación en Mexico
En GLAAD estamos muy orgullosos del trabajo hecho por activistas Mexicanos sobre comentarios difamatorios hechos por Esteban Arce, conductor del programa Matutina Express, mirada por millones en la estación 4TV de Televisa.
En el programa del 21 de diciembre, Arce le pregunto a Elsy Reyes, sexóloga, cual era la diferencia entre orientación sexual y preferencia sexual. Cuando Reyes trato de explicar que preferencia es un término incorrecto porque la sexualidad es una característica con lo cual uno nace, o sea una orientación, Arce la interrumpió varias veces, diciendo que no la creía “normal” la homosexualidad. Arce ha hecho estos tipos de comentarios en el pasado.
Muchos televidentes se sintieron ofendidos, y por lo menos 18 de ellos le enviaron correo electrónico a Conapred (Consejo Nacional para Prevenir la Discriminación), la cual hizo una queja oficial. Hasta el dueño de Televisa, Emilio Azcárraga Jean, ofreció un opinión, diciendo por Twitter que el incidente seria tomado en cuenta. Azcárraga luego ofreció la dirección de Arce: @estarc62 lo cual resulto en que el reciba algunos 3000 tweets. Arce ha dicho que el 60% del pueblo lo apoya.
Activistas mexicanos han creado una página de Facebook llamada Esteban Arce Fuera del Aire.
En los estados unidos, varias personas que vieron el segmento en You Tube contactaron a GLAAD. Nosotros compartimos esas quejas con activistas en la ciudad de Mexico. GLAAD hizo una entrevista en TV Notas, la muy leída revista y en Homofrequencia (90.5FM) un programa de radio de Chicago, donde hablamos sobre la conexión entre difamación, prejuicio y violencia.
Gracias a todos ustedes quienes le escribieron a GLAAD para quejarse sobre los comentarios de Arce y felicidades a los activistas en Mexico y sus aliados, por unir sus voces en contra de la difamación.
Related Posts:North Carolina County Passes Domestic Partner Benefits Despite Defamatory Comments From Commissioner Bill James
December 22, 2009
The Mecklenburg County Commissioners, last Tuesday, passed a domestic partner benefits policy, extending benefits to the spouses of LGBT city employees and making it the seventh North Carolina county to do so. The new policy will take affect next fall during the open enrollment period.
According to WCSC, the 6 to 3 favorable vote makes “a Mecklenburg County employee who is in a same-sex relationship where both partners live together and share financial responsibilities eligible to receive county benefits for their partner as long as one of them is a county employee.”
Many Mecklenburg County residents and allies said passing the law was about basic equal rights.
“I’m not gay but I believe they have [the] right to feed their family,” said George Dunlap, who continued saying that by not passing a benefits package, it promotes bias and says Charlotte is not progressive, he told reporters.
While the board was split on the policy, the most vocal opposition in the media came from Commissioner Bill James. Commissioner James was quoted calling co-Commissioner Vilma Leake’s deceased son, who was gay, a “homo” and accused Commissioner Leakes of pushing her “agenda.”
The Miami Herald’s Steve Rothaus, reported that Commissioner James even sent e-mails to the local FOX affiliate, in which he defended his defamatory language.
“In justifying her position last night in public, she used her son’s ‘lifestyle’ and his death from HIV-AIDS to justify voting for benefits to allow individuals to use tax dollar to engage in the same behavior that resulted in her son’s death.”
According to 365Gay, Leake’s son was gay and died of AIDS.
Last week, the Mecklenburg Commissioners chair Jennifer Roberts said that her colleague Bill James should apologize for his rants but Commissioner Leake said she doesn’t suspect Commissioner James will.
Journalists have been fair and accurate in reporting on this story and GLAAD will keep monitoring this situation. We urge media to continue shining a spotlight on Commissioner James’ outrageous anti-gay comments.
Related Posts:Call to Action: Seventeen Magazine Needs to Apologize for Transphobic Article
October 27, 2009
In their latest issue (November 2009), Seventeen magazine published a defamatory article representing transgender youth as “liars” and deceivers. In an “as told to Jessica Press” article titled “True Life Drama: My BOYFRIEND turned out to be a girl!”, they relate Sheri’s story of finding out that her first love was a transgender young man in an accusatory and sensationalizing tone.
As first pointed out by LGBT teen activist Ariel Bustamante when she alerted prominent Pam’s House Blend blogger Autumn Sandeen to the story:
“Rather than use this opportunity to educate readers about transgender issues, it …instead furthers the common transphobic assumption that someone whose gender does not match their sex assigned at birth is a deceptive liar and even compares them (at the bottom) to perverts, drug addicts, and older dads trying to get young women without disclosing their parental/age status.”
In her insightful blog about the article, Sandeen wrote:
“What the sensationalizing of this Seventeen story [creates] is a recipe for teaching intolerance of trans youth based on gender identity and expression, and this recipe — when I think about Brandon Teena and Angie Zapata — is also a recipe for fueling violence against trans people.”
While Seventeen was certainly right to publish Sheri’s experience of her dramatic break-up, there is never an excuse to misgender and misrepresent transgender youth, especially given the highly at-risk status of this demographic. (See GLSEN’s report on the experiences of transgender youth in U.S. schools.)
GLAAD has written to senior editors at Seventeen, requesting a meeting and an apology for their sensationalized coverage in their December issue.
Bustamante has also created a facebook campaign to raise awareness of this unacceptable article.
Please Take Action Now:
Please write to Seventeen to voice your concerns about this sensational presentation.
Tell the magazine’s editors that sensationalizing transgender teenagers and young adults contributes to a climate that puts young LGBT people in harm’s way. Ask them to consult GLAAD for resources when covering future stories on LGBT people.
Please remember, when contacting Seventeen, to ensure that your emails are civil and respectful and do not engage in any kind of name-calling or abusive behavior.
Keep checking GLAADblog for further updates on this developing story.
Related Posts:GLSEN’s E.D. Calls Out OK Senator’s Staffer On His Anti-LGB Message
September 30, 2009
Last week media reported on various aspects of the Value Voters Summit, a yearly forum for ultra-conservatives. Last year, the summit made headlines for its wares depicting then presidential candidate Barack Obama as a racial stereotype. This year one of the more alarming things to come out of the summit happened during a breakout session titled “The New Masculinity,” which brought speakers together to discuss “principles and ideals for a new masculinism.” During this session, the final speaker, Michael Schwartz, Sen. Tom Colburn’s (R-Okla.) Chief of Staff, made this statement:
“But it is my observation that boys at that age [10 – 12 years of age] have less tolerance for homosexuality than just about any other class of people. They speak badly about homosexuals. And that’s because they don’t want to be that way. They don’t want to fall into it. And that’s a good instinct. After all, homosexuality, we know, studies have been done by the National Institute of Health to try to prove that it’s genetic and all those studies have proved its not genetic. Homosexuality is inflicted on people.”
Just days later, The New York Times published an article online titled Coming Out in Middle School, which also appeared in the New York Times Magazine. The article profiles several gay and bisexual youth from across the country, some of whom live in Oklahoma. Though the article’s subjects came out in middle school, two report being aware of their sexual orientations earlier, at age ten and eleven. The article also references studies that put the mean age for recognizing same-sex attraction at age ten.
In response to Schwartz’s remarks, Dr. Eliza Byard, Executive Director of the Gay and Lesbian Education Network (GLSEN), who is also quoted in the Times article, penned a piece that was published in the Huffington Post, titled Colliding Realities In America’s Middle Schools.
Byard delivers a cautionary tale, urging readers to consider:
“…the clash of those two realities–10-year-olds intolerant of gay people and 10-year-olds realizing they are gay–playing out in both hidden and public ways every day in school hallways.”
She goes on to quote stark statistics from the recently released GLSEN Research brief:
“The brief reveals that middle school LGBT students reported rates of harassment and assault that were significantly higher than those reported by high school LGBT students: more middle school students had been verbally harassed, and a shocking 63% had heard homophobic remarks made by school staff. About two of every five LGBT middle school students had been assaulted – punched, kicked or threatened with a weapon – at school, as compared to “only” one in five of the high school respondents.”
This information is stark indeed and bears ill portent if Schwartz’s remarks are left unchecked by the media. His statements very clearly reinforce and even encourage homophobia in youth who are already, according to GLSEN’s data, committing acts of harassment and violence against their LGBT peers more frequently in middle school than high school.
During the course of his speech, where he addressed what men who are already good husbands and fathers can do to change the culture, Schwartz noted:
“If you don’t have love in you life it’s not a very complete life and yet we fail to talk about it to our sons and to their friends. They’re the ones that need to hear it the most.”
Perhaps someone ought to remind him that LGBT youth are deserving of that same love, acceptance and familial support, and that includes a life free from fear of harassment and violence.
Related Posts:Apple Responds to GLAAD Concerns About Problematic Advertisement
September 25, 2009
UPDATE: We heard back from an Apple publicity representative who told us this ad has not run since 2006 and is no longer featured on the company’s website. We explained why the ad was problematic and urged Apple NOT to produce ads with similar themes in the future. They assured us the company is committed to diversity and thanked us for the outreach. GLAAD will continue to encourage companies to produce fair, accurate and inclusive advertisements.
——————————————
After being alerted by constituents about a problematic ad for Apple‘s iMovie, we investigated these complaints and were disappointed to see the usually witty Mac advertisers resort to mocking transgender people in order to sell their product.
The ad features model Gisele Bundchen, who is supposed to be the embodiment of a home movie made using iMovie. After the Mac presents Gisele, the PC presents a person wearing a dress identical to Gisele’s, in a wig, with no breasts, a five o’clock shadow and an abundance of exposed chest hair.
The ad ends with the line:
“Work in progress?”
GLAAD is concerned that Apple would resort to anti-transgender stereotypes as an adverting strategy. We have reached out to the company and asked that they pull the ad. We will keep you updated on our communications with Apple.
Related Posts:GLAAD Reaches Out to Blog That Dehumanizes Transgender People
June 26, 2009
As the result of constituents contacting GLAAD, we have reached out to the site owners of a blog that dehumanizes transgender people and their experiences. Tranny Alert is a website that posts pictures of people who are perceived to be transgender and encourages readers to submit photos of perceived transgender people for the blog to publish and provide commentary. It is unclear whether the site’s subjects have provided consent to have their pictures taken and published in this context.
Lateisha Green
GLAAD has reached out to the blog about the defamatory nature of their content with their problematic language including the words “tranny,” “trannie” and “he/she.” We also expressed our concerns about the potential danger the site’s subjects could face as a result of having their gender identity and gender expression shared without their consent.
Given that transgender people are disproportionately targeted for violence, willfully subjecting them to this kind of online scrutiny could very well put their lives in danger. We need not look far to know how violence disproportionately impacts transgender people. Recent examples include Angie Zapata and Lateisha Green.
A Call to Action against Tranny Alert was started by a Livejournal user named gudbuytjane and it appears to have been quite effective. The blog’s Facebook page has already been taken down.
Tranny Alert remains active on Twitter. Some Twitter users have been tweeting #trannyalertfail to express their alarm and concern for the site’s questionable content.
Initially, @TrannyAlert tweeted the following in response to readers submitting their concerns:
Tranny Alert will be releasing a statement in the next 24 hours regarding the recent backlash.
Later, the blog sent out another tweet about readers concerns:
Wow people really need to get a f*cking sense of humor.
If you would like to share your own concerns about Tranny Alert and their content, you can email them at:
mayday@tranny-alert.com
You can also share your concerns about their problematic language and content with Blogger, the blog service that currently hosts Tranny Alert. You can contact them with your concerns here.
Blogger’s policy specifically states:
Blogger strongly believes in freedom of speech. We believe that having a variety of perspectives is an important part of what makes blogs such an exciting and diverse medium. With that said, there are certain types of content that are not allowed on Blogger. While Blogger values and safeguards political and social commentary, material that promotes hatred toward groups based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, or sexual orientation/gender identity is not allowed on Blogger.
Please stay tuned for more details. Please check back with us for updates on this developing story.
Have an update to share with GLAAD? Send Senior Media Strategist Andy Marra a Tweet at @andy_marra
Related Posts:GLAAD Issues Statement on Perez Hilton’s Use of Anti-Gay Slur
June 22, 2009
Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton posted a video today in which he made the following remarks about a confrontation with will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas and members of the band’s entourage:
And that is when I made the split-second decision – that I was gonna say what I thought was the worst possible thing that thug [will.i.am] would ever want to hear. As I was standing my ground – without being violent or physical which I would never do – I told him – and you know what? I don’t need to respect you and you’re a f**. You’re gay and stop being such a f***ot.
GLAAD issued a statement today in response to Hilton’s video. 
From Rashad Robinson, Senior Director of Media Programs at GLAAD, via the statement:
These are vulgar anti-gay slurs that feed a climate of hatred and intolerance toward our community. For someone in our own community to use it to attack another person by saying that it is, quote, ‘The worst possible thing that thug would ever want to hear,’ is incredibly dangerous. It legitimizes use of a slur that is often linked to violence against our community. And it sends a message that it is OK to attempt to dehumanize people by exploiting anti-gay attitudes.
We have reached out to Hilton and asked him to apologize for promoting this anti-gay slur, and we would ask media outlets to avoid repetition of the slur in their coverage of this story.
Robinson goes on further to say:
While not all the facts in this case are known, the violence that appears to have been committed against Perez Hilton is unacceptable and ought to be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
The full statement can be found here.
Related Posts:UPDATE: National Media Coverage of KRXQ Hosts’ Apologies
June 12, 2009
Two weeks after mobilizing GLAAD supporters, Sacramento radio hosts Rob Williams and Arnie States apologized yesterday for their disparaging, anti-transgender remarks that promoted the abuse of transgender children.
Audio of the apologies can be found here.
Following Thursday’s broadcast, Vice President of Entercom Entertainment Sacramento, John Geary, released a statement describing the anti-transgender remarks as “hurtful” and “unacceptable.”
Geary went on to explain his hopes that KRXQ “can foster a greater level of tolerance and understanding by people on both sides of the [transgender] issue.”
Rob Williams also released a statement following yesterday’s broadcast in which he thanked his listeners:
Thank you for having the courage to stand by us and to keep the show in check. It was through the loyal listeners of the Rob, Arnie and Dawn show that Arnie and I were dragged, kicking and screaming, to the reality that we had gone too far and crossed a line in the eyes of OUR audience. It is still a point of sadness and frustration that it took us so long to acknowledge our mistake, believe our audience, and begin making things right. The show of Thursday, June 11 serves to set things in forward motion.
Additionally, several media outlets highlighted the KRXQ apology, such as the AP, the Advocate, the Sacramento Bee, and local television news stations, among others.
As noted in its Thursday press release, GLAAD will continue to monitor the show daily to ensure it stays within the bounds of fair, accurate and inclusive coverage. GLAAD will also continue promoting the stories of transgender people to the show and advising the hosts on covering transgender people with respect and dignity.
Related Posts:GLAAD Update on Today’s KRXQ Broadcast
June 11, 2009
Since June 1st, GLAAD has been actively mobilizing its supporters to take action against a highly offensive segment of the “Rob, Arnie and Dawn in the Morning” show, which aired on May 28th. For the past 10 days we have been working collaboratively with like minded organizations and community members on this issue. You can about this joint effort here.
Today, the “Rob, Arnie and Dawn in the Morning” show returned to airwaves with a special broadcast that included two transgender advocates. I was updating my Twitter feed live throughout the entire show.
After the broadcast, GLAAD released a statement on the show, which you can find here.
In our statement, we include quotes from Pam’s House Blend contributor and transgender advocate Autumn Sandeen and Trans Youth Familiy Allies Executive Director Kim Pearson who were featured on the 2.5 hour radio broadcast, without any commercial breaks.
In our statement, Autumn relayed:
I think this is the way we make change – and we don’t mean as individuals, but as a community. Humanity won the day. I think that’s what worked – we all became humans in the same room instead of stereotypes.
Kim also shared the following statement:
It’s not up to me to grant forgiveness or absolution, and people are going to hold their feet to the fire. I think this was a good thing, it was a good forum, it was productive, it was good for everyone listening – but time will tell. It was a good first step, but actions speak louder than words.
After the show, the “Rob, Arnie and Dawn in the Morning” website provided an update with links to both Pam’s House Blend and Trans Youth Family Allies. The broadcast is available for listeners to download here.
Local media outlets in Sacramento have consistently reported on the developments surrounding KRXQ with the most recent stories on today’s show featured in FOX40, The Sacramento Press and The Sacramento Bee.
GLAAD would like to thank new media reporters Autumn Sandeen and Michael Rowe for their crucial coverage on KRXQ, which brought the situation to new audiences and helped it become an educational moment for many.
A larger recap will be prepared tomorrow so please check back later for more updates on this story and others followed by GLAAD.
Have an update to share with GLAAD? Send us a tweet on our Twitter account @glaad.
KRXQ UPDATE: Tomorrow’s Show and More Advertiser Statements
June 10, 2009
As many know already from reading our previous update, the “Rob, Arnie and Dawn in the Morning” show will begin re-airing on Thursday, June 11. GLAAD will be listening to the show that begins at 10:30AM EST/7:30AM PST. We will be paying close attention to the broadcast.
We have a few more breaking updates to share with you about what to expect tomorrow morning and the ongoing developments with advertisers pulling from the radio station.
People can tune in here to listen to tomorrow’s show featuring Pam’s House Blend contributor and transgender advocate Autumn Sandeen and Trans Youth Families Allies Executive Director Kim Pearson.
Please note the following information:
- The live broadcast will last for 2.5 hours
- There will be no commercial breaks whatsoever during the radio show
- People may call in during the show at the following number: 916-766-1044
- You can follow GLAAD Senior Media Strategist Andy Marra on Twitter during the broadcast @Andy_Marra
- GLAAD will be releasing our statement on GLAADblog.org and GLAAD.org soon after the show
GLAAD reminds its readers to be respectful and civil when calling into the radio station and expressing your views.
In anticipation of tomorrow’s show, GLAAD spoke with its sister organization, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). The national organization advocating for safer schools recently released a report titled Harsh Realities that documented the experiences of transgender students in the classroom.
GLSEN wanted us to share their statement that reads:
GLSEN is horrified and outraged by the hateful comments directed at transgender youth made on the ‘Rob, Arnie and Dawn in the Morning Show.’ Such comments are even more reprehensible in light of the fact that more than half of transgender students experience physical harassment in school based on their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression and more than a quarter experience physical assault. We can only hope that Thursday’s show will shed light on the need to make sure that transgender youth are safe in every school.
The Transgender Law Center also issued a statement about tomorrow’s morning that you can find here.
Earlier this afternoon, a GLAAD supporter also provided a tip about UC Davis Health Systems ending their relationship with the “Rob, Arnie and Dawn in the Morning” show. The university’s medical institution released a statement that you can find here and here.
In the statement, UC Davis announced their decision to pull all advertising from the station. They also ended their partnership with the station that annually raises charitable dollars for the Children’s Miracle Network. The Sacramento Bee reported on the latest development immediately following the announcement.
GLAAD also received a statement from Home Depot clarifying their involvement with KRXQ. 
The statement reads:
The Home Depot is neither a sponsor nor has it committed advertising to this program. However, our ads are occasionally heard on KRXQ as part of a national radio buy. We have shared your feedback about the morning program with the network and the station directly, and have asked them to look more closely at where our ads are running to ensure they are in accordance with our standards.
We have strict guidelines in place to ensure the programs we support reflect the quality of our brand. Our advertising campaigns have one simple objective — to communicate with audiences in the most effective way possible. Feedback from customers like you plays a large role in helping us to maintain these standards.
Thank you for your interest in The Home Depot.
Local advertisers like Sleep Train and Guitar Center issued statements that you can find here and here. The LGBT community in Sacramento has been very active in leading efforts to contact local advertisers and urge them to pull their advertising contracts from KRXQ. The Sacramento LGBTQI Leadership Coalition, a local alliance of 15+ organizations has been coordinating on-the-ground efforts related to the radio station.
The coalition provided GLAAD with the following statement about their reasons for mobilizing the community:
The hateful remarks against transgender youth made by two primetime Sacramento radio hosts was shocking and hurtful to members of our city’s vibrant and diverse LGBT community. Gay and transgender youth are at high risk of depression, alcohol and drug abuse and suicide due to homophobic discrimination and abusive environments many face in their schools, homes and among their peers. All in our community feel a deep commitment to doing our best to shelter our LGBT youth to the greatest extent possible from these destructive societal pressures. No child should have to be afraid of being hurt or harassed for simply expressing his or her identity.
Please stay tuned for more details. Please check back with us for updates on this developing story.
Have an update to share with GLAAD? Send us a tweet on our Twitter account @glaad.
UPDATE: Sleep Train and Others Clarify Record on KRXQ Advertising
June 9, 2009
GLAAD has received a few updates about KRXQ and their advertisers. Our extensive coverage on advertisers either pulling or not renewing contracts can be found here.
This update comes after GLAAD spoke with KRXQ yesterday, which you can read about here.
Sleep Train provided GLAAD with the following statement to share with its readers:
Thank you for taking the time to write us regarding the comments made on the Rob, Arnie and Dawn show on KRXQ. Rob, Arnie and Dawn have done a good job endorsing for us for many years. However, this time they went too far. We do not condone their comments in any way and we have made it clear to KRXQ’s management, Rob, Arnie and Dawn that their conduct was unacceptable.
Sleep Train is proud of our history of diversity and the inclusion of all the communities we serve. As a result, we have pulled our ads off of KRXQ until further notice.
We have also received other statements from Red Bull, Hawaiian Airlines and State Farm.
Red Bull sent us a statement addressing their advertising relationship with KRXQ:
Red Bull is not an advertiser on KRQX. Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.
We also were provided with a statement from Hawaiian Airlines who reportedly received a number of emails this past weekend. The airline states:
Hawaiian Airlines is not an advertiser on the station.
State Farm had a similar statement as Red Bull and Hawaiian Airlines. The company writes:
Thank you for your comments regarding State Farm running advertisements on station KRXQ in Sacramento. We have read your concerns and those of others with similar concerns. We take very seriously each comment we receive.
State Farm has not advertised on KRXQ in 2009. Once this particular show ran, we discovered that the station had not removed our company logo from their website and that mistake has been rectified.
Please stay tuned for more details. Please check back with us for updates on this developing story.
Have an update to share with GLAAD? Send us a tweet on our Twitter account @glaad.
UPDATE: GLAAD Speaks with KRXQ Management
June 8, 2009
For those just now learning about this issue, please go here to read more about this evolving controversy.
At 11:45am EST, Cindi Creager, GLAAD’s Director of National News, and I spoke with the station manager at KRXQ. GLAAD successfully made the case for a transgender person and a parent of a transgender child to appear on the Rob, Arnie and Dawn show. We are right now in the process of securing Trans Youth Family Allies Executive Director Kim Pearson and Pam’s House Blend contributor and transgender advocate Autumn Sandeen for the broadcast.
As yesterday’s statement noted, KRXQ will be airing a special show on Thursday, June 11 at 7:30am PST.
It should be noted that Autumn was one of the very first reporters to shine attention on the May 28th segment alongside Huffington Post blogger Michael Rowe.
KRXQ has assured us that the June 11th follow-up show will be conducted in a “frank and positive manner.” It was explicitly stated to us that we will hear an apology from the radio hosts and listeners will be able to call in. As always, we remind everyone to be respectful and civil when calling into the show.
GLAAD has additionally suggested a transgender media training with our community partners. KRXQ was receptive to the suggestion and we will further discuss this following Thursday’s radio broadcast.
Media have been continuing to follow the story, garnering national coverage. Local media outlets in Sacramento have been especially helpful in covering this story – including The Sacramento Press, FOX40 and The Sacramento Bee. Community blogs have also been extremely effective in sharing updates on this issue and mobilizing readers to take action.
Finally, it should be noted that yet another advertiser has dropped their contract with the station. Guitar Center Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Norman Hajjar, directly reached out to GLAAD following emails from concerned community members.
Norman has provided us with this statement to share with our readers:
Last Thursday, I asked our media agency to speak to KRXQ about the outrageous comments made by their morning on-air team. I wasn’t satisfied with the station’s response. So we decided to pull our dollars from the station.
It’s simple: wrong is wrong. We don’t want our brand associated with such epic insensitivity.
Guitar Center now becomes the 11th confirmed advertiser to pull their contract from KRXQ. You can read more about the others here and here.
Please stay tuned for more details. Please check back with us for updates on this developing story.
Have an update to share with GLAAD? Send us a tweet on our Twitter account @glaad.
UPDATE: KRXQ Radio Host Rob Williams Declares Failure
June 7, 2009
I received a tip from a GLAADblog follower about a statement posted by KRXQ radio host Rob Williams who owns the “Rob, Arnie and Dawn in the Morning” show. At 11:50am PST, Williams issued a statement about their May 28 segment where Rob and Arnie made offensive remarks against transgender children. They refused to apologize on a follow-up show.
The statement comes after a week of turmoil for the radio station. On June 1, GLAAD issued a Call to Action that mobilized hundreds of people to contact the radion station and voice their concerns. You can read more about that here and here.
Huffington Post blogger Michael Rowe and Pam’s House Blend contributor Autumn Sandeen were key reporters regularly following the issue. Their crucial coverage and GLAAD’s Call to Action resulted in a flurry of media pick-up. Concerned community members also began to contact companies and urge them to pull their advertising contracts from KRXQ. I then ended up fielding emails and calls from companies who wanted GLAAD to post and distribute their statements to either pull or not renew advertising on the radio station due to the offensive broadcast. You can read more about that here.
GLAAD received an email on Friday, June 5 at 5:28pm EST from KRXQ station management indicating a desire to speak with us about a possible resolution for their defamatory and dehumanizing remarks. We were told that KRXQ would call us on Monday, June 8 to hear their proposal. Then radio host Rob posts a statement on the incident.
GLAAD looks forward to hearing from KRXQ management and their proposal of concrete assurances that will rectify their previous coverage on transgender children. GLAAD will continue to consult with our partners on this issue to ensure the community is well-represented when speaking to KRXQ.
Stay tuned for more details. Please check back with us for updates on this developing story.
Have an update to share with GLAAD? Send us a tweet on our Twitter account @glaad.
Rob Williams Statement:
UPDATED JUNE 7TH, 2009, 11:50AM
TO OUR LOYAL ROB, ARNIE AND DAWN FOLLOWERS,
WE HAVE FAILED YOU. AS A SHOW, AS PEOPLE, AS BROADCASTERS, WE HAVE SIMPLY FAILED ON ALMOST EVERY LEVEL.
WE PRESENTED OUR OPINIONS ON A VERY SENSITIVE SUBJECT IN A HATEFUL, CHILDISH AND CRUDE FASHION; AND THEN, GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO RETRACT THOSE REMARKS, WE DEFENDED THEM.
SINCE THEN, YOU, OUR LOYAL LISTENERS, HAVE MADE IT CLEAR TO US THAT WE WENT TOO FAR. THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN OVERWHELMING. NONE OF YOU SAID THAT WE COULDN’T HAVE OPINIONS, YET SO MANY OF YOU SAID THAT THE WAY WE GAVE THEM CROSSED THE LINE. FURTHER, YOU SAID THAT OUR ATTEMPT TO MASK OUR COMMENTS AS “JOKES THAT WOULD BE UNDERSTOOD BY OUR AUDIENCE,” WAS UNACCEPTABLE. I WOULD SAY NOW THAT IT WAS WORSE THAN THAT, IT WAS COWARDLY. YOU HAVE MADE THAT CLEAR.
WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO VARIOUS GROUPS AND ASKED FOR A CHANCE TO MAKE THIS RIGHT; TO RESPOND, WITH THEIR PARTICIPATION, TO THE EDUCATION THAT OUR AUDIENCE HAS PROVIDED US. THAT OPPORTUNITY HAS BEEN GRACIOUSLY GRANTED THIS THURSDAY MORNING, JUNE 11TH. AT 7:30 A.M.
THE WORD APOLOGY APPEARS NO WHERE IN THIS LETTER FOR A REASON. WE ALREADY HID FROM DOING THE RIGHT THING ONCE AND WE’RE NOT GOING TO MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN. APOLOGIZING IN A WRITTEN, POSTED STATEMENT IS A FORM OF COWARDICE. WE WILL SAY WHAT NEEDS TO BE SAID THIS THURSDAY.
ON A FINAL, PERSONAL NOTE, AS THE LEADER AND OWNER OF THE SHOW, I HAVE MADE THE DECISION THAT WE NEED TO REFRAIN FROM BROADCASTING NEW EPISODES UNTIL WE CAN ADDRESS THIS ON THURSDAY . WE WILL RETURN TO THE AIR AT 7:30 A.M. JUNE 11TH.
ROB WILLIAMS
ROB, ARNIE AND DAWN
UPDATE: McDonald’s Is 10th Company to Pull KRXQ Advertising
June 5, 2009
GLAAD just posted a recap of its activity relating to KRXQ and its offensive comments against transgender children. The summary also included a statement from AT&T announcing their decision to pull its advertising from the radio station. You can find all of that plus recent media coverage here.
Minutes after posting our recap, I received an email from McDonald’s at 9:17pm EST. Soon after I spoke with a member of the McDonald’s Public Relations team who wanted us to post and distribute their statement.
McDonald’s wrote:
McDonald’s has a proud legacy of diversity and inclusion. The views expressed by the hosts are not consistent with our core values.
As such, we are in the process of withdrawing advertising from KRXQ until further notice.
McDonald’s USA LLC, Pacific Sierra Region
The global fast food chain now becomes the tenth company to either retract or to not renew its advertising contract with KRXQ.
The entire listing of companies include:
- Chipotle
- Snapple
- Sonic
- Bank of America
- Verizon
- Carl’s Jr (CKE Restaurants)
- Wells Fargo
- Nissan North America
- AT&T
- McDonald’s
We continue urging people to voice their concerns with the radio station. Information can be found here.
Stay tuned for more details. Please check back with us for updates on this developing story.
Have an update to share with GLAAD? Send us a tweet on our Twitter account @glaad.
