Transgender woman denied McDonald's job; anti-gay slur used

This is just appalling:

Seventeen-year-old Zikerria Bellamy applied online for a position as a shift manager or crew leader at an Orlando McDonald's. When she went in for the interview on July 28, Bellamy says a manager forced her to check a box indicating her gender.

[...]

She said she was told she would not be granted an interview and received an angry, hateful voicemail from the manager later in the day.

"You went to [indistinguishable] McDonald's today," the message says. "It doesn't matter how many times you go down there. You will not get hired. We do not hire faggots. You lied to me. You told me you was a woman. And then you lied to me. You told me you were seventeen. I can't believe you. You're a lying brother. How could you ever lie to me?"

How is it any business of that man's?  This woman is presenting and identifies as a women, therefore she is a woman.  His calling her a man and using an anti-gay slur is unutterably disrespectful.  He had no business leaving her a hateful message on her voicemail.  So add harassment to the strikes against this guy.  


Given that this is not the first time a McDonald's employee has discriminated against potential employees, or customers.  You would think that McDonald's would do something about the bigots they employ so that this discrimination does not continue to happen.  


You can fill out this form to let them know that gender discrimination is against the law, and it's unacceptable for McDonald's to condone this bigotry from their employees.  


I certainly hope this man is no longer employed there, but I might be hoping for too much here.


H/T sexgenderbody via Twitter

I got ur fails right here

Keira Knightley's breasts have been tampered with again.

On the left is the ad. Below is a shot taken while stylists were attending her during the shoot. Can you spot the difference?










This is a continuing battle for Knightley, who has stated that she is proud of her body, and who, in the past, has refused to let images of her body be augmented. I admit my crush on Knightley deepens whenever she speaks up for her breasts.

I'm not even going to go into the obvious airbrushing beyond the photoshopped breasts; I'll just point out that apparently women are only beautiful if they have breasts and look plastic.

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You've probably already heard about the latest transphobic idiocy, courtesy of the Transportation Security Administration. Basically under these new policies, transgender flyers will be outed as transgender since it requires that they use a name that reflects their gender (and by gender, they ignorantly mean what's between the individual's legs). According to Jos at Feministing:

Many trans individuals do not have identification that matches their presentation or the name they regularly use. Others have IDs with conflicting information. The Advocate asked the TSA how trans folks should handle these situations and got some very un-helpful advice:

TSA spokesman Dwayne Baird told Advocate.com on Thursday that transgender travelers who are purchasing tickets should declare "the gender that they were at the time that they booked their flight."

And Monica from Transgriot states:

The first implementation phase of the initiative required that airlines collect the names of all passengers as shown verbatim on government-issued identification.

The next phase began August 15 on several air carriers. It requires passengers to declare their gender at the time of booking their flights.

By the end of March 2010 all companies will be required to obtain gender information from persons booking travel.

TSA spokesman Dwayne Baird told Advocate.com in a recent interview that transgender travelers who are purchasing tickets should declare "the gender that they were at the time that they booked their flight."

However, Baird said he was unsure whether those who don't identify with a specific gender or are in transition would be held to the same rules.

Kristina Wertz, the Transgender Law Center's legal director, said the new regulations will likely exacerbate airport hassles that some transgender people already face while traveling.

No kidding. One of the potential consequences of having your trans business disclosed is a situation in which the traveling transperson could be subjected to harassment, disrespect and discrimination by airline personnel, security, customs officials if they're travelling internationally and other passengers. (emphasis mine).

And, keeping with the ugly transphobic theme, there's this about a transwoman named Kate Lynn Blatt

whose employer requested a photograph of her genitalia as a condition of continued employment.

Blatt was working for Manpower, a temporary employment service. After she was asked to leave a job she was on for Manpower in 2007, they told her that she’d have to provide documentation from her surgeon regarding genital surgery, plus a photograph of her genitalia in order to seek further employment through them. (emphasis mine).

::::Head. Desk::::

Here we have a classic example of cisgender privilege. We do not demand to see evidence of someone's genitals when their gender identity matches their biology. This is harassment. Tell me this is illegal--but we all know transgender individuals aren't really human, amirite?

Hey, Manpower--GENITALIA DOES NOT EQUAL GENDER.

Let's make some noise supporting Blatt and her lawsuit against Manpower.

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Today's win, of course, is the sentencing of Dwight DeLee for the murder of Lateisha Green, which occurred on November 14, 2008. He has been sentenced to 25 years, and his conviction of committing a hate-crime is only the second ever in the U.S. which involves a transgender individual. It's a bitter win, however, because a young woman's life was stolen. My heart goes out to Lateisha's family. I hope the asshole rots. More details can be found here.

KRXQ to issue verbal apology to listeners on June 11th

I just received the following email from Mr. Geary of KRXQ:

Thank you for your feedback regarding the May 28^th and June 3^rd, 2009 broadcasts of “The Rob, Arnie and Dawn Show.” I understand the seriousness of the issue, and want to share with you a copy of a notice that has been posted on our website, www.krxq.net.

During these shows, Rob and Arnie made what we, and they, recognize were completely unacceptable remarks concerning members of the transgender community, especially children. Accordingly, this Thursday, June 11^th, 2009, the show will be dedicated to what we anticipate will be a forum to promote a better understanding among all listeners of the issues involved.

John D. Geary
Vice President / General Manager

Well, it had better be an apology, anyway. It's not like they didn't already blow their chance at an apology--now they want another one. I'm anticipating their response, though, since maybe--just maybe, they won't fuck this one up too.

However, I would like to point out my problem with their first unapology: telling people not to be offended because it's all just jokes, man is no fucking excuse. I also have a problem with the "just jokes" excuse, since jokes are not often told in such a fiery hateful manner (unless, of course, you're Lewis Black, but I digress). The few clips I've seen of the KRXQ show in question, these men are spewing hateful bile in such an angry and offensive manner that I find it hard to believe these were "just jokes." These weren't jokes. These were men who are filled judgement and hate, and who are just pissed that so many people called them out on their comments.

I don't think an apology is enough at this point. They've already gotten their chance to apologize and they didn't take it. Now that the heat's on and their sponsors are dropping one by one have they realized that it was wrong (and I think that realization stirs little in them).

More on KRXQ's Sponsors

There's an update over at GLAAD (sorry I just now posted this, but I had to work today--ugh). But good news, because McDonald's has decided to drop their sponsorship of KRXQ.

From GLAAD's page:

McDonald’s wrote:

McDonald’s has a proud legacy of diversity and inclusion. The views expressed by the hosts are not consistent with our core values.

As such, we are in the process of withdrawing advertising from KRXQ until further notice.

McDonald’s USA LLC, Pacific Sierra Region

The global fast food chain now becomes the tenth company to either retract or to not renew its advertising contract with KRXQ.

The entire listing of companies include:

• Chipotle
• Snapple
• Sonic
• Bank of America
• Verizon
• Carl’s Jr (CKE Restaurants)
• Wells Fargo
• Nissan North America
• AT&T
• McDonald’s

I wonder how much time before all sponsorship is dropped and the station realizes they're better off without Rob and Arnie (hint to KRXQ--YOU'RE LOSING MONEY ON THESE ASSHOLES).

Carl's Jr. is number five!

These sponsors are dropping like flies. Just found this in my inbox:

Dear Concerned Reader,

Thank you for your email. We have pulled all of our ads from KXRQ. We did this as soon as the matter was brought to our attention.

We appreciate your concern and thank you for contacting CKE Restaurants on this matter.

Regards,

CKE, Public Relations

Guest Response Line: (877) 799-7827

CKE Restaurants encompasses Carl's Jr. and Hardees.

Update: Verizon has just dropped sponsorship. They've been crossed off the list.

Update 2: Wells Fargo has removed its logo from KRXQ's site, responding to the complaints with the following message:

Thank you for your message. We appreciate your feedback and take such matters seriously.

We are strongly committed to equality for all and we do not tolerate discrimination. When we learned of the inappropriate comments made during the May 28^th KXRQ broadcast we immediately removed our logo from the radio station’s Web site.

Wells Fargo was not an advertiser on the May 28 broadcast, is not currently advertising with KXRQ, and has not done so for more than a year.

We’re proud of our commitment of supporting many organizations that serve our diverse communities – which is consistent with our company values.

We very much appreciate your comments.

Diversity is at the core of Wells Fargo’s vision and values and Wells Fargo is honored to be on DiversityInc Magazine's Top 50 list for 2009.

Thank you for taking the time to bring this matter to our attention.

Julie Campbell

Wells Fargo Communications

They've also been crossed off the sponsor list.

Updated sponsor list:

CARLS”S JR. (CKE RESTAURANTS):
pr@ckr.com Press Room

HOME DEPOT
public_relations@homedepot.com

TOBACCO REPUBLIC:
trcigar@aol.com

ALBERTSON”S:
Alicia Rockwell
arockwell@savemart.com

FLEX YOUR POWER
enewswire@fypower.org Editor
info@fypower.org

NISSAN:
Darryl Harrison - Media
Darryll.harrison@nissan-usa.com

BANK OF AMERICA:
joseph.l.goode@bankofamerica.com
AT&T
John Britton
E-Mail: john.britton@att.com

VERIZON:
Debra Lewis
908-559-7512
Debra.Lewis@VerizonWireless.com

McDONALDS:
Walt Riker
Vice President, Corporate Media Relations
walt.riker@us.mcd.com
Heidi Barker
Sr. Director, Corporate Media Relations
heidi.barker@us.mcd.com

WELLS FARGO:
Media Relations: corpcsf@wellsfargo.com

GRIFFIN & REED EYECARE:
info@LASIKworld.com

PRO CITY MORTGAGE:
procity@procitymortgage.com

Bank of America no longer sponsoring KRXQ

I got a quick response today. Apparently enough people have been complaining, because just about as quickly as I hit my send button, I received the following email from Bank of America's SVP, Joseph Goode:

Bank of America is proud to be a leader in supporting diversity and continues to be widely recognized for our progressive workplace practices and initiatives to promote inclusion. This commitment to equality and diversity informs every aspect of our enterprise, including our approach to advertising. As a result, we adhere to a set of media buying guidelines for syndicated programming and for local stations that promote inclusion and help our company reach a broad range of diverse customers.

Bank of America prides itself on fostering a corporate culture that is inclusive of all the communities we serve. Our customers, clients and associates speak different languages; support different family structures and life situations; and have unique and personal financial requirements. In order to meet the diverse needs of our customers, we require a variety of products and services, marketing and a diverse workforce that demonstrate and reflect our awareness and appreciation of who our clients and customers are.

We hope the immediate actions that we have taken demonstrate our longstanding support of diversity, and we hope you inform members of your organization of the steps that we have taken to address your concerns.

Thank you for your inquiry and bringing this to our attention.

Joseph L. Goode, SVP

So keep at it. This is the fourth company to drop its sponsorship for the station. Others are Sonic, Chipotle, and Snapple.

Hate-speech is dangerous: more on KRXQ's trans hate

Here's another post on KRXQ's verbal attack on transgender children, by Michael Rowe. It's pretty disturbing to read, but it's an important read, explaining (again) why this hate-speech is so dangerous:

In light of the well-publicized suicides this year of the two boys who took their own lives because of bullying and harassment for "acting gay" (which, in the argot of modern North American teenagers, often refers to acting in a way considered unmasculine by their peers) the stunning lack of moral sensibility on the part of States and Williams is breathtaking. But it also points to the increasingly degraded landscape of talk radio.

The causal link between Bill O'Reilly's obsessive baiting of abortion provider Dr. George Tiller on FOX and Tiller's murder on Sunday, May 31st as he was ushering in his Kansas City church, is currently being explored, an exploration particularly relevant in the case of Rob, Arnie, and Dawn in the Morning, and the potential violent fallout from their inexplicably rage-filled invective against not only transgender children, but even boys who err on the feminine side of standard adolescent behavior, behavior States and Williams consider unnatural because "men are hunters and women are gatherers."

[...]

They berated co-host Dawn Rossi, who seemed genuinely horrified by the rising crescendo of ugliness towards the children and their parents from States and Williams.

"You're actually defending allowing people to become freaks?" they seethed. "A boy who wants to wear a dress is a freak. A nut." Comparing transgender children to "fat bastard kids on Maury," States and Williams urged advocates of transgender children to "stop hiding behind research and laws," whose authority they wholeheartedly reject. Braying with the certitude of the jubilantly ignorant, States and Williams revealed to listeners that "transgenders [sic] did not exist four decades ago," apparently unaware of the historical fact that transgender individuals have existed in every culture throughout recorded history, including in native American cultures where the "two spirited" were revered as teachers, healers, and shamans.

I urge you to read the whole thing.

Also, send those emails--tell the sponsors to drop this station:

CARLS”S JR. (CKE RESTAURANTS):
pr@ckr.com Press Room

HOME DEPOT
public_relations@homedepot.com

TOBACCO REPUBLIC:
trcigar@aol.com

ALBERTSON”S:
Alicia Rockwell
arockwell@savemart.com

FLEX YOUR POWER
enewswire@fypower.org Editor
info@fypower.org

NISSAN:
Darryl Harrison - Media
Darryll.harrison@nissan-usa.com

BANK OF AMERICA:
joseph.l.goode@bankofamerica.com
AT&T
John Britton
E-Mail: john.britton@att.com

VERIZON:
Debra Lewis
908-559-7512
Debra.Lewis@VerizonWireless.com

McDONALDS:
Walt Riker
Vice President, Corporate Media Relations
walt.riker@us.mcd.com
Heidi Barker
Sr. Director, Corporate Media Relations
heidi.barker@us.mcd.com

WELLS FARGO:
Media Relations: corpcsf@wellsfargo.com

GRIFFIN & REED EYECARE:
info@LASIKworld.com

PRO CITY MORTGAGE:
procity@procitymortgage.com

H/T: Feministe for links and sponsor info.

Update on KRXQ-FM's bigotry

This is an update on my prior KRXQ-FM post. They've responded to the angry emails and phone calls in what amounts to a privileged half-assed apology. You can see full details at GLAAD's website. Basically it's a "sorry you didn't think it was funny" sort of apology. The station manager, Jim Fox, is quoted as saying, "Did they do anything wrong? If you're a regular listener, the answer is no." Let me just say that I'm very sick of this "Equal opportunity offender" bullshit. Carrying that label doesn't give anyone a free pass to advocate violence against any group of people ever. Saying that it's okay to make these statements against the transgender community because they're always offending someone does not make it somehow better. Embracing that "edgy" persona does not make you cool--it makes you a douchebag.

Hate speech is damaging, and this should not be allowed to continue. Making "jokes" like these is not a harmless act. As Monica over at Transgriot states:

And note to KRXQ-FM fans of the show. You cannot hide behind the First Amendment and advocate violence against transpeople or ANY ethnic minority. As I can painfully tell you from my people's history, when you are part of a minority group, people who advocate violence against you cannot be brushed off with a 'I was making a joke'.

Keep sending in those emails. Keep calling and complaining. This un-apology is not going to cut it.

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Update (on my update): I've also found a list of KRXQ's sponsors, which may produce more results if you contact them (since two sponsors have already backed out). So have at it peeps. H/T: Ampersand at Alas, a Blog for link



John Geary
Vice President & General Manager
KRXQ-FM
(916) 339-4209
jgeary@entercom.com

Arnie States
On Air Personality
KRXQ-FM
(916) 334-7777
rad@robarnieanddawn.com

Rob Williams
On Air Personality
KRXQ-FM
(916) 334-7777
rwilliams@entercom.com

Remember Angie

In case you had not heard, the murderer of Angie Zapata, Allen Andrade, has been sentenced to life in prison.

This is a bittersweet victory, since it cannot bring back Angie, and her family is still devastated that she was taken from them when she was only 18.

Angie Zapata was a beautiful young transwoman, who was murdered. The defense in the trial was filled with trans hate, attempting to spur transpanic in the jury, referring to Angie as "it" and "he," admitting to Andrade's guilt by basically saying, "Sure, he murdered someone, but that's because that person lied about really being a man!" But she wasn't a man. She was a woman.

Please take the time to remember Angie, and remember also that although Adrade was brought to justice, there are still hundreds more who are not. Violence against transmen and transwomen is committed frequently, and does not receive much media attention.

For more on Angie and the verdict, read these:
Transgriot: Reaction to Andrade Trial
Shakesville: Andrade: Guilty
Transgriot: Guilty!
Transgriot: Andrade Trial--Opening Impressions