12/13/12

ESPN Radio 980 Suspends Steve Czaban and Andy Pollin

ESPN 980 (Washington, D.C.) radio hosts Steve Czaban and Andy Pollin suspended for their transphobic tirades berating transgender basketball player Gabrielle Ludwig.

The radio station belatedly took action following the outrage expressed by you and I.


The following message was posted on the ESPN 980 Facebook wall:


Many including myself felt the appropriate response would have been to fire these two after there second rant thinly discussed as an apology.

However the independently owned and operated sports radio station felt a suspension was fitting.  Awful Announcing brought up the point firing could and probably would have, in all fairness, inhibited future discussions about transgender people (transgender people's rights?).

This begs the question, what if that bigoted rant were focused at a black person? People of color are defined as a minority just as Gabrielle Ludwig is, would the station have felt a suspension an appropriate remedy then?



So what do you think?



12/12/12

Lady Gaga Born This Way Санкт-Петербург Россия

Lady Gaga говоря бросил переводчик сказал, что она "хочет уважения прав геев". Lady Gaga хочет сказать, что она ожидает уважения от других - она не здесь, чтобы оскорбить религию никому или веры, она здесь, чтобы объединить нас ".



Lady Gaga said at the concert that she "wanted to respect the rights of gays." Lady Gaga wants to say that she expects respect from others - she is not here to offend anyone religion or faith, she is here to join us. "

"Artists in Russia have begun warning of a new "iron curtain" falling over the country, as ever more western stars become targets of the country's crackdown on culture. Last week, prosecutors in St Petersburg opened an investigation into the Hermitage museum after complaints that an exhibit by British artists Jake and Dinos Chapman showed signs of extremism. Responding to the investigation, the Chapman brothers said in a statement: "Note to selves: remember, forget Russia."

"The campaign against western artists has grown since the jailing of the punk band Pussy Riot, a case that highlighted the crackdown on freedom of expression in Vladimir Putin's Russia."
Source: Guardian