KRXQ-FM radio hosts Rob Williams and Arnie States of the Rob, Arnie & Dawn in the Morning program that airs in Sacramento and Reno apologized today for making hateful remarks about transgender youth.
The two and a half hour program featured transgender advocate and Pam’s House Blend contributor Autumn Sandeen and Executive Director of TransYouth Family Allies Kim Pearson.
The on-air mea culpa came after the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation brought attention to the initial May 28 broadcast and launched a campaign asking for the hosts to apologize.
Outrage over the transphobic remarks led major advertisers of the show to pull their ads and the station put the show on a short hiatus until today.
According to a GLAAD release, Rob Williams said during the program that “Our audience made it clear that we had actually made it seem as though we endorse or allow, or in a worst case scenario from some of the comments I’ve heard from our fans, encourage the harming and abuse of children, the bullying and vilifying of those who are different and singling out of transgenders for harm and/or mocking. And for that, for the education that our audience has supplied to me, I want you to very clearly understand that I proudly and fully apologize, apologize for those comments completely. I’m sorry that this show in any way made it sound like we would ever tolerate any of those things that I described.”
For more on the controversy, click here to read the Bay Area Reporter’s article posted online today.