A.J. Walkley
Author, 'Queer Greer' and 'Choice'
Transphobic Jokes on Phoenix's Mix 96.9
Posted: 01/09/2013 12:54 pm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aj-walkley/transphobic-jokes-on-phoenixs-mix-969_b_2425956.htmlEvery morning on my way to grab a coffee, I turn on my local Phoenix, Ariz., radio station, Mix 96.9, for some good music, a bit of news and some conversation from the a.m. hosts. Usually the banter is funny and timely, comments coming in about pop culture and whatever happens to be in the headlines. This past Monday morning, however, I was shocked speechless when host Mathew Blades brought up the subject of a photo of three women he had seen on his wife's Facebook page over the weekend. He labeled the women "transsexuals" and urged listeners to go to the Mix 96.9 website or Facebook page to gawk at this seemingly hilarious picture -- hilarious due to the fact that all three on-air hosts couldn't stop laughing about it.
Before I had a chance to look at the photo myself, I was on the phone calling up the station. I got on with all three hosts and told them how offensive it was for them to be labeling three non-transsexual women "transsexual" and joking about it. Blades apologized -- amidst chuckling -- and told me that he really meant that they looked like "drag queens" and asked me what the difference between "transsexual" and "transgender" meant. After explaining the terms, I was interrupted by more laughter, with the hosts egging each other on and chastising each other, jokingly. Throughout the conversation -- if you can even call it that -- I never once felt like I was being taken seriously.
