After nearly three weeks off the air following a transphobic tweet, Dori Monson returned to his 12-3pm show on Bonneville News/Talk 97.3 KIRO-FM Tacoma/Seattle today.
In a column on the company’s MyNorthwest.com, Monson addressed the situation writing, “My 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.
Even with my apology that day, criticism of my 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’s status with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks coverage has not been addressed. He hosted pre and post-game shows as well as a weekly Friday interview with Head Coach Pete Carroll on KIRO-FM and “710 ESPN” KIRO until the suspension.
Original Report 10/9: Bonneville News/Talk 97.3 KIRO-FM Tacoma/Seattle has suspended 12-3pm host Dori Monson indefinitely for a transphobic tweet.
Monson was live-tweeting the Washington gubernatorial debate on Wednesday when he wrote in a since deleted tweet, “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.” On his show yesterday The Athletic reports that Monson “decried cancel culture for coming after him and maintained his words were taken out of context.”
In addition to his political talk show on KIRO-FM, Monson was also suspended by the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks where he hosts the franchise’s pre and post-game shows as well as a weekly Friday interview with Head Coach Pete Carroll on KIRO-FM and “710 ESPN” KIRO. Monson was not on either the Carroll show or his 12-3pm show today.
Monson has hosted the 12-3pm show on KIRO since 1995 after stints at 1090 KING and the Pat Cashman Show on KIRO. He has anchored the Seahawks radio coverage since 2002.
KIRO-FM Program Director Bryan Buckalew told the Seattle Times that the company does not comment on personnel matters. The station nor the team have made a public statement regarding Monson.
