A Cleveland, Ohio, radio personality who, on his radio broadcast last week told a parent to essentially arrange for his daughter to be raped if he suspects she’s gay, has been been disciplined by the station and issued an on-air apology Monday.
Dominic Dieter, a host on WMMS Radio’s popular “Rover’s Morning Glory” show, was responding to an e-mail from a father who allegedly wrote to the station to say that he’d happened upon his teenage daughter kissing another girl.
Dieter replied that “you should get one of your friends to screw your daughter straight,” a not uncommon occurrence in many parts of the world, that is in fact referred to as “corrective rape.”
The response outraged parents and community members, and prompted GLAAD — the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation — to call on parent company Clear Channel Communications to take immediate action against Dieter.
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Earier today, GLAAD said it was notified that disciplinary action has been taken against Dieter, though management would not be specific as to what, and that a pre-recorded apology aired from Dieter this morning.
According to a transcript sent by WMMS, Dieter told listeners:
“I just wanted to say that, I know on the show this past Friday I made some comments that people found….. considered to be offensive. And I just wanted to say, I understand why people are angry. I want to genuinely apologize to anyone who may have been offended by what I said. I regret what I did say. My comments were inappropriate. They were inexcusable, and just downright stupid.
“And I want to make it clear; there was absolutely no intention to promote physical or sexual violence. And I’m truly; truly sorry by my poor choice of words that led people to believe otherwise. Again, Rover… I just want to apologize for any pain I might have caused. (…) I ask people to find it in their hearts to forgive me. I am sorry for the words that I did say. “
WMMS also pledged to air public service announcements about the dangers of parental rejection, and the importance of giving LGBT young people a safe learning environment.
The radio station said it has also invited LGBT advocacy group Equality Ohio to join its community advisory board, to help ensure that LGBT issues are covered accurately and inclusively, and that incidents like this do not happen again.
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