Well, just a word about the title: the entire station of KRXQ is not who I’m really talking about. Even Dawn the morning of the original transphobic broadcast did well to not jump on the Ignorant Bandwagon. So what I’m talking about is the comments Rob and Arnie made, the way the two of them handled it, and the way their station dealt with them-i.e. not firing them, suspending them, or even issuing an immediate and complete retraction and apology for their statements. But for the title’s sake, KRXQ makes for easy searching.
So, why the “Gender Panic” in the title? Aren’t we talking about ‘hate’ or ‘transphobia’? Well, maybe. I think that the more general issue at stake is gender panic in a wider sense.
I’m sure that many of you all have kept up to date about what was said, and the fallout that occurred, and I wouldn’t rehash too much here. You can check out these links for more info:
http://www.tips-q.com/982923-follow-krxq-controversy
http://glaadblog.org/2009/06/04/update-makers-of-the-best-stuff-on-earth-pull-advertising-from-krxq/
So: what’s all the fuss about? The fuss is about two white guys on the radio singling out young people with gender dysphoria (or ‘GID’) and calling them “freaks” and making flippant remarks about abusing them.
Funny? Worthwhile? Adult? Admirable?
Or, seriously troubling, sick, infantile, and abhorrent?
Well, I tend to lean towards the latter. People will say (and they have): “Rob and Arnie are protected by the First Ammendment!”
and I would respond that I nor any LGBTQ or allied person has said that they should be jailed or prosecuted because of their statements. This is not about the First Ammendment. This is about the good of our communities, the safety of our children, and the benefit of our families.
Folks will also say: “If you don’t like the show don’t listen to it!”
I would respond, I am sure that George Tiller never listened to shock jock hacks. Its not me and my sensitivities I’m worried about. I won’t listen to Rob and Arnie (when Dawn gets her own show, I’ll consider it), but some folk who are are very gender panicked and bigoted already might, and they might get off on the idea of this level of bigotry, misinformation, ignorance, and violence (and yes, even if its ‘hyperbole’, it was violent) being said over the airways and do something to act out their twisted and repugnant ideas.
So this comes back to the first point about this not being about ‘rights’. Rob and Arnie should be able to freely say whatever they want. I’m just here to say that they should be saying it with the fourth grade assholes who don’t know better. Not over airways with sponsors and music breaks with My Chemical Romance.
But, this whole nasty mess is a step in the right direction. How? The lives and narratives of GenderQueer folk, Trans folk, Gender Dysphoria folk are all being told and heard in a totally new venue that is wider than it was a week ago. This is a good thing.
Also, add to your list of ‘good things’: Look at how many sponsors have pulled their advertising monies out of KRXQ! Wells Fargo, Verizon, Carl’s Jr., Sonic, Chipotle, Bank of America, Snapple, and many others!! This means there is a lot of people upset and hurt by Rob and Arnie’s hateful speech.
Rob and Arnie, like many other older folk who still don’t get it, underestimated the LGBTQ communites and their allies. They underestimated their solidarity, their numbers, their organization, and…the justice, goodness, and divine prophetic energy infusing their cause.
What is gender panic? It is the state most folk live in everyday without ever thinking about it. It is like the systemic White Privilege and racism that insidiously lurks in the machinery of America’s culture. “Boys don’t wear dresses!” Cultural marks that are arbitrary, continually shifting, and often ethically value neutral, become enshrined into idols of the mind and heart. Our coding of what ‘man’ and ‘woman’ are become to us the utmost importance: not a person’s intentions, actions, choices, and involvement in the community. Gender, like sex, is wild and fluid. Science and the best trained doctors and philosophers have yet to figure it out. Rob and Arnie also have yet to figure it out.
And I haven’t either. All I know is that I want to love people. Listen to them. Care for them and their families. I am hoping that everyone involved with this will take a moment to search their heart, meet a Trans person, go to a place of worship that celebrates all people regardless of gender, or just breath and ask: ‘what do I want my legacy to be?’
Here’s some links to more qualified folk. If you are more interested in Trans folk, gender, and the reawakening spirit of divine love and justice that’s occurring in the world, I hope you find them useful:
http://www.hrc.org/scripture/bios-season.asp
http://www.clgs.org/transgender-spirituality
http://www.genderdysphoria.org/
http://www.hrc.org/issues/transgender/1671.htm
http://www.psr.edu/category/author/justin-tanis-0
June 11, 2009 at 7:31 am
I think the most significant sponsor that pulled was U.C. Davis Medical Center. They spent less than $4,000 on advertising with KRXQ last year, but received $126,000 in a fundraiser performed by Ron, Arnie, and Dawn.
Most importantly, the funderaiser was used by the show and by fans as some sort of proof that the remarks couldn’t possibly have been hateful, because they were good guys. This is the typical response of most people who voice hate speech, “I’m a good person, therefore nothing I say could be hateful.” Losing that backing, at a measurable financial cost, took away that cover. U.C. Davis Medical Center should be lauded for that support.
I’m inclined to believe that this whole thing has turned into a ratings stunt, just as FCC fines they received for onair skits about child molestation did. Sure they apologized onair, but they also got a big raise for the ratings bump brought by the controversy. Time will tell.
June 11, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Thanks Meko for your thoughts and your posting!
Yes, I think that UC Davis Medical Center deserves big ups for their decision, and for doing great work that all California can be proud of.
http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/medicalcenter/
Keep it up, Davis!
Meko: You bring up a good point about ‘good people’ and their ‘hateful speech/actions’.
Firstly, I think that all of us can think of good people that are close to us who do really stupid and sometimes hateful things. I have close friends who do really selfish things-yet I’m still their friend and I love them. Is this strange? No, because we humans are complex and often are walking contradictions. This is especially true of our elders. Believe me, I have older family members that say shtuff that’s beyond acceptable often. At times, you gotta shrug because that’s their generation. My great-gramma (bless her soul) never got over saying the most distasteful things about ‘coloreds’. No one is perfect, and times change faster than we often can. That is why I strive to stay atop of these things. I care about people and I don’t want to make the same mistakes great-gramma did.
And you’re right. Those djs did the “we’re good people, we ain’t capable of hate.” well…I hate to say it, but there’s something to the ol’ Christian addage: “love the sinner, hate the sin.” We workers for justice need to remember to address the actions or words and not make character judgments. “That’s a pretty insensitive thing you just said. Would you like to clarify or restate that?” versus: “What?! You Transphobic ass!” I will suggest that the former rater than the latter will get one further in the conversation.
How about ratings? From the youtube videos I’ve seen of that radio show, they’re a mess of radio hacks and I don’t think there’s any real danger of a big or sustained bump. That’s just my guess. We’ll see.
In the meantime, we’ll continue in the good fight. Thanks, Meko!