This is one of those rare occasions that a social media post that backfired badly did not cost someone their job. Dori Monson is back on the air at KIRO in Seattle after being suspended indefinitely by Bonneville earlier this month for a tweet many said mocked transgender people.
Monson’s Twitter post was during the Washington gubernatorial debate between Governor Jay Inslee and challenger Loren Culp. “Inslee: we follow science in WA. The state where I could go to Olympia tomorrow and change my birth cert to say I was a girl on 10/2/61 HAHAHAHAHA.”
Three weeks and several apologies later Monson has made it back on the air.
On the station wesbite Monson said the tweet didn’t hit the mark. “Instead, it was painful for some of our listeners and many in the Twitter-sphere. For that, like I said on the air the day after the tweet, I apologize. On that Thursday, I said, “I’m sorry. That was not where I was going. That was not my intent on that.” Hours before that show, I shared a more personal apology by phone with a couple I know – a couple who was angry because they have a transgender adult child.”
Monson wrote that even with his earlier apologies that day, criticism of his tweet started pouring in. “They said I was making fun of transgender people, which honest to goodness didn’t even cross my mind then. But people called me transphobic. The Seattle Times called me transphobic. Websites called me transphobic. The truth is, I couldn’t care less if an adult wants to adopt a different gender. At the time, I was commenting on our governor and changing official state documents.”
Monson said it’s clear that his Tweet caused some people quite a bit of pain. “So I want to repeat what I said on October 8 to those who might not have heard it: I am sorry, if you – directly or indirectly – were harmed. Our station has taken a lot of heat for the tweet – and I feel awful about that, too. Advertisers on this show and our station have felt the pain. I accept responsibility for this. Not only do I value and respect the relationships that I have with our advertisers, but I cherish them. Your commitment has been an incredible strength. Honest to goodness, besides my family and my faith, I get up every morning with you and our listeners in mind. I will never give you less than 100 percent of myself.”
