[UPDATED] Anti-Trans Radio Show Dropped From SiriusXM!

UPDATE: I just received a statement from Clear Channel! See below…

On June 3rd – just days into Pride Month – the Clear Channel radio show Lex and Terry, broadcast by SiriusXM,  began discussing the gay/trans panic issues saying, There’s a teen that shot a tranny after finding out that it was a man after they had a little sexual encounter. A co-host responded, I don’t blame him. I would have shot his ass too.

The gay/trans “panic” defense is when a jury is asked to find that a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity is to blame for the defendant’s violent reaction. The perpetrator claims that the victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity not only explain – but excuse – their loss of self-control and subsequent assault of an LGBT individual. By fully or partially acquitting the perpetrators of crimes against LGBT victims, these defenses imply that LGBT lives are worth less than others.

Today, I was notified by the SiriusXM Senior Vice President of Communications, Patrick Reilly that Lex and Terry show had been pulled from the  SiriusXM network. “As you may already be aware, the Lex and Terry show is no longer on XM. The show was dropped yesterday, Thursday, from the Extreme Talk channel on XM. That’s the channel under the control of Clear Channel.”

I contacted GLAAD and requested their assistance in dealing with this issue. Moments ago, GLAAD  published the following statement:

Syndicated radio hosts Lex and Terry say they will make a formal apology and have promised to work with GLAAD and transgender advocates to address the issue of anti-trans violence on the air, following an anti-transgender incident that occurred on their program earlier this week.

We thank SiriusXM for its swift and decisive action on this matter.  Clear Channel, which carries the show on its IHeartRadio network (and the show is produced at a Clear Channel station in Dallas) has yet to make a public statement about these comments, and they must do so. A petition asking Clear Channel to stand up for the transgender community and denounce the comments made on the air by Lex and Terry can be found here.

On Friday, GLAAD spoke with an agent for the show, who said that the hosts now understood the severity of the incident and the harm that statements like this can (and do) cause, and that a formal apology from the hosts would be forthcoming. Lex and Terry will also work with GLAAD and members of the transgender advocacy community on a way to meaningfully address the issue of anti-transgender violence on the air. We do not yet know the contents of the apology.

I deeply appreciate SiriusXM’s handling of this situation. They were quick to reach out and work with the community. Their quick response sends a powerful  message to both the public and media alike. My takeaway is that for SiriusXM, anti-trans hate is not tolerated.

While I am happy to that the show itself will issue an apology soon, as of the time of this post, Clear Channel itself (unlike SiriusXM) has chosen to remain silent on the matter of their show’s support for transgender murder. If you’ve not done so, please add your name to a Change.org petition demanding that Clear Channel.


UPDATE

Statement from Clear Channel:

Clear Channel Media and Entertainment does not condone the comment independently made by Lex & Terry regarding transgender individuals.  United Stations Radio Networks, which produces and syndicates the Lex & Terry Show, has been notified.  The comment was thoughtless and unacceptable and we sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by their remarks.

– Angel Aristone, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Clear Channel Radio

 

Cristan Williams is a trans historian and pioneer in addressing the practical needs of underserved communities. She started the first trans homeless shelter in Texas and co-founded the first federally funded housing-first homeless program, pioneered affordable health care for trans people in the Houston area, won the right for trans people to change their gender on Texas ID prior to surgery, started numerous trans social service programs and founded the Transgender Center as well as the Transgender Archives. She has published short stories, academic chapters and papers, and numerous articles for both print and digital magazines. She received numerous awards for her advocacy and has presented at universities throughout the nation, served on several governmental committees and CBO boards, is the Editor of the TransAdvocate, and is a founding board member of the Transgender Foundation of America and the Bee Busy Wellness Center.