STATEMENT
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
Jordan Palmer, President
Joshua Koch, Vice President of Policy & Public Relations
Statement by Vice President Joshua Koch for the Office of the President:
Kentucky Equality Federation condemns the actions WLAP 630 AM's afternoon host, Leland Conway, and of Clear Channel Radio, the owner of WLAP. The issue between the Gay and Lesbian Services Organization (GLSO) of Lexington and Hands On Original has been made more volatile, leading to additional public outrage on both sides as a direct result of the actions of Conway.
Kentucky Equality Federation has no intention is getting involved in a dispute between the GLSO and Hands On Original. A complaint has been filed, and is best decided by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission of any legal wrongdoing. The LGBTI community will however remember the decision of Hands On Original ownership whether or not they are found to be in violation of a city ordinance.
However, Conway obviously felt compelled to defend a business interest of the radio station and by doing so, added additional fuel to the fire. Conway attacked the Commonwealth's entire gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) community today when comparing them to the KKK.
What was surprising and offensive was the comparison Conway made between GLSO and the KKK, which inaugurated a series of enraged callers saying specious and hateful things against the LGBTI community.
Attacking the Commonwealth's entire LGBTI community is abaolutely unacceptable by having the audacity to compare the LGBTI community to the KKK. The LGBTI community is not a hate group. No group, other than a hate group, can be compared to the KKK without malicious intent being assumed on the host's part. This is demagoguery, but it is worse than simply overstating a case to the court of public opinion. This was done under the cover of an analogy, but there is no excuse for this behavior.
This is the purposeful use of a monopolized radio market, supposedly administered in the public interest, for the targeting and smearing of an entire community. Such outlandish behavior will not be tolerated. We demand that WLAP, Clear Channel Radio, and Leland Conway issue a public apology to the entire LGBTI community for the comparison. If no public apology has been issued by 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 29th, we will issue a formal complaint to the FCC and other interested officials.
5 comments:
THANK YOU SLAM THOSE FUCK TARDS AT CLEAR CHANNEL.
I had something to say but I think the comment about summarizes my thoughts as well. Great work again Kentucky Equality Federation!
It is laughable that Big Libertarian Joshua Koch is threatening to go crying to the FCC. Ron Paul would not approve.
Well, "Anonymous," I don't approve of Congress and the FCC limiting free speech over the airwaves to a few wealthy corporate donors, but Republicans and Democrats have built that system over the last century.
Unfortunately, the system today functions as a media cartel. Until the time when the airwaves are justly administered, I'll work within the system that exists today, and that is the FCC. Am I not allowed to work within the system while opposing the system?
Since when did analogies, even those that are awkward, become restricted speech? I guess 1st amendment rights end when they offend the "LGBTwhateverelsegoeshere" community.
And sure, you can work within the system while opposing the system, but that hurts your Libertarian street cred. Bringing down the gubment against someone who offends you makes you a hypocrite. Hooray for big government!
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