C I V I L    M A R R I A G E    I S    A    C I V I L    R I G H T.

A N D N O W I T ' S T H E L A W O F T H E L A N D.


Friday, October 29, 2010

Fear and Loathing in East Texas, Cont'd

Kudos to GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) for prodding NBC affiliate KETK in Tyler, Texas, to apologize for their outrageous simulcast Wednesday with sister station KTBB, asking whether "gays will be the downfall of America."

Joe Jervis of Joe.My.God. uploaded the original clip to YouTube, but KETB has had it removed, ostensibly as a "copyright violation."  Nevertheless, you can still see the smear piece over at the Courage Campaign's site here - where you can also sign a petition to ask NBC Universal to end its corporate relationship with KETK, if you like.

The apology - and I leave it up to my truckbuddies to say whether it's a half-ass one or not - by KETK general manager Dave Tillery is here on their own site or here on GLAAD's.  In writing it goes like this:
This past Wednesday, our radio partner – KTBB – presented a Talkback question regarding homosexuality. That question was also simulcast during our morning news broadcast. Many of our viewers and their listeners found the wording of that question to be offensive. We understand and respect their comments. We have discussed these comments with KTBB and agree that the question was poorly worded. For that, they have apologized. And since the question also appeared on our air, we are sorry for any offense that was taken.

3 comments:

Tuesday's Cowboy said...

Russ, having heard that a fundamentalist preacher in Tyler once called his fellow-Christian Episcopalians "idol worshipers" over 30 years ago, I think this will be about the best apology one could expect. What impresses me, being that this apology is coming out of Smith County, is that National Pressure can cause an apology to take place at all, lukewarm as it is. What impresses me is that isolated little-minded places like Tyler, can no longer escape National Heat. What impresses me is that a minority who is educated, organized, funded and willing to take the fight to the "streets" can prevent the door that they opened from being slammed shut in their face (kind of a play on a famous quote by Cesar Chavez that is displayed at the LBJ Ranch in Stonewall, Texas). An apology is only words. Their homophobic bigotry is still there. We have to be diligent until that door is taken off its hinges so we don't have to worry about it even possibly swinging shut in our face again any more. Thanks for staying on top of this, it's appreciated.

Tuesday's Cowboy said...

“Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours.” Cesar Chavez

The "door" that opened for us is social change, and as Cesar Chavez rightfully noted, it cannot be reversed, ergo, "shut." There will be Gay Marriage; there will be openly Gay members of the military; there will be an openly Lesbian or Gay president of the United States.

Russ Manley said...

Great quote, love it.

Related Posts with Thumbnails