SACRAMENTO — Radio hosts Arnie States and Rob Williams today will welcome two advocates for transgender people — a group the DJs labeled "freaks," "weirdos" and "drama queens" two weeks ago.
Kim Pearson and Autumn Sandeen, one the mother of a transgender teen and the other a San Diego transgender activist, told The Bee they will try to put a human face on a misunderstood group.
The two women are slated to go on the "Rob, Arnie & Dawn" show between 7:30 and 10 a.m. on 98.5 KRXQ-FM.
States and Williams have acted, by turns, hostile and penitent in the past two weeks. During a show in late May, States jokingly referred to hitting children who expressed transgender feelings.
The comments provoked a backlash against KRXQ. Key sponsors – Chipotle, Bank of America and Snapple, among others – withdrew advertising.
Sandeen, a 20-year Navy veteran, said she's been a target of epithets such as those used by Williams and States. She's also been called "it" and "that thing," she said.
"How dehumanizing is that expression?" she asked. "To not even acknowledge you as a human being? The whole point of this (going on the show) is: We're human beings. Our children are human beings."
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