Not In Our Town
Sacramento, named by Time Magazine, America's Most Diverse City. Sacramento featured by PBS in a documentary Not In Our Town depicting the overwhelming community support for the Jewish Community when arsonists attacked three Sacramento synagogues. Sacramento, a town that I love to brag about. But today I am ashamed at Sacramento residents for not standing up against a blatant attack by local radio station KRXQ 98.5FM through its hosts Rob Williams and Arnie States, on some of the most vulnerable amongst us, transgendered kids. You can read about this incident here, but you can't listen to the dialog because it has been removed from the internet - maybe that's a blessing!
My friend Jon Schuller alterted me to the incident and wrote this heartfelt blog on the subject.
Was I naive in thinking that Sacramento, home of the brave and land of the free, would be outraged? Was I even more naive in imagining that a giant apology would be sent out immediately by the radio station, at the least, and heads would roll, at the most? Was I incorrect in considering how many sponsors would head for the hills? (I give credit to Chipotle, who did leave and I call upon the local family who owns the Sonic franchise to do the same in short order).
The response from the station was completely inappropriate. Arnie States, one of the DJs, basically said the whole segment was a joke and listeners should have known. (How dumb are we?) The station manager defended the DJs. "The show is filled with hyperbole and they use exaggerations to make a point," Jim Fox said.
Picking on kids who find themselves in the wrong bodies, who are made fun of on a daily basis and have a very high rate of commiting suicide and being murdered is not my idea of any kind of joke. To me it's a clear case of ignorance, irresponsibility and blatant discrimination - at the expense of confused, scared kids.
Come on, Sacramento. We are better than this. Don't just sit there. Stand up and say enough is enough. Write to the Station Manager. Write to the FCC. Write to the Sponsors. John Schuller has some great details on how to make an impact on his blog.
Let's be proud of what we stand for in Sacramento.
Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive
