Today, during a phone call with about 70 reporters, KDKA Radio talk show host Marty Griffin repeatedly misgendered Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, referring to her as “sir” on multiple occasions. Griffin apologized and corrected himself once to say “ma’am,” but eventually Levine, who is trans, asked Griffin to stop misgendering her.
A transcript of the exchange is shown below:
GRIFFIN: When folks know what yellow is kind of sort of but they don’t even know what green is because you don’t. What’s the end game, sir? Where do we get to the point where folks can be confident they can conduct business if they do it safely and there’s no time frame and there’s no window? Correct me if I’m wrong, sir … ma’am.
[Levine answers]
GRIFFIN: How do you respond, doctor, to the conjecture that your response is jeopardizing the health and well being of seniors by moving them into nursing facilities even if they’re no longer COVID positive, sir?
LEVINE: So please don’t misgender me.
GRIFFIN: I’m so sorry.
LEVINE: It’s really insulting.
GRIFFIN: I apologize. It’s not malicious. I apologize. I’m so sorry.
This incident was the main reason that Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto decided to cancel a scheduled appearance on KDKA Radio. He was set to be interviewed on the Lynne Hayes-Freeland show, and tweeted that she is a fair, strong journalist and was not to blame. But he criticized the radio station, which has come under hot water as of late.
Peduto’s spokesperson Tim McNulty told Pittsburgh City Paper that Griffin’s misgendering was the main reason the mayor was canceling the interview, and that the mayor was also critical of Griffin’s reporting over stories about sand in the Polish Hill skate park.
The incident happened during an exclusive weekly media call with members of the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association (PNA). Several people, including many journalists, criticized Griffin. Chris Potter of WESA tweeted, “What an absolute embarrassment to the western Pennsylvania press corps.” Others wondered why a journalist with such a long career had issues addressing Levine properly. It has been very well publicized that Levine is trans, and her profile has risen very high during the coronanivrus pandemic.
Griffin acknowledged the incident on Twitter, saying that it wasn’t intentional, and that he apologized. He also said he was not focused and “doing six things at once.”
A request for comment to KDKA Radio was not returned by press time.
This apparently isn’t the first time Griffin has made offensive statements about trans people and the transgender community. According to local blog 2 Political Junkies, Griffin misgendered Chelsea Manning in 2014, calling the former soldier and whistleblower “Mr. Bradley” repeatedly on air. According to the blog, Griffin also called Manning “Mr. Manning” and said she had some sort of “bizarre sex-change thing” going on. Manning publicly came out as trans in 2013.
In 2007, Griffin also was criticized for his reporting on a local Presbyterian minister, and possibly outing him as gay in a series of teasers for Griffin’s story. The minister committed suicide the day the story was set to air, but the story was pulled at the last minute.
This article appears in May 6-12, 2020.
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Griffin should be fired, but it won’t happen. He is pandering to his base. They set a very low bar.
Wow, this guy still has a job in radio? I guess that makes sense realizing the president and his minions, (or the minions and they’re president) still have jobs and are working at wrecking our country, and the world.
Peace.
Griffin has been spewing anger and hate, and during an extremely difficult time for everyone, this only incites and brings people down. He says he’s a “fact” person and today 5/13 that he only knows what his callers and friends who are out of business are experiencing. Even when you understand that one aspect of what’s going on, that’s a very limited base of knowledge for him to be called a reporter and talk show host.
Griffin’s arrogance is undeniable. And he puts (his) words in peoples’ mouths regularly – even with people he calls his friends. For example: On Tue. 5/12/20, he asked Allegheny county executive Rich Fitzgerald if the Governor (Wolf) isn’t “out of touch,”? Fitzgerald immediately answered with a firm and clear “NO” and told Marty the Governor has a good sense.
Marty Griffin should be let go, suspended, or put on probation. He is a public personality and as such should be well versed in common curtesy. It isn’t quite enough to say “I’m sorry.”
Marty intelligent enough to know she is transgender and deserves basic respect. He has put down the trans community before. Hold him accountable. I have issues w Rachel Levine not making her Health Dept. Accountable for their negligence ( not doing surveys to help prevent illness and dying) but her being transgender is no issue. I’m a lesbian and now wonder if that’s why Marty refused to investigate an issue I called him about years ago….
Brent Dugan. We will not forget Marty Griffin.
Grriffin and his blonde bimbo anchorwoman wife should go work in Alabama. They ain’t Pittsburgh.
Bike-way Bill is a petty, diminutive little creature that makes his predecessor, Mayor Luke, look like a master of governance.
Wow. This is not the pgh I grew up in..
Griffin is an idiot, wife should be embarrassed!
Smarty Marty has always been a jerk, but he has been getting worse since Wendy Bell got her own show. I think he’s competing to see who is further right and who is the worst bigot. He knows perfectly well that Dr. Levine is transgender but he chose to call her ‘sir” because he wanted the attention. I miss the reasonable voices on KDKA like Eddy Crow, Johnny Mac and Chris Moore. I don’t mind a mix of voices and views, but I DO mind bigots and conspiracy theory whackos. Today Wendy Bell said flat out that “healthy people don’t need to wear masks or socially distance.” That deliberately puts people’s lives at risk because we don’t KNOW who is healthy for certain, and she is directly contradicting CDC guidelines. Why does KDKA let her get away with that crap? A once proud radio station is really in the toilet now.
how immature of the mayor. as for levine, he can dress like a woman ,wear lipstick etc etc , he is still a male. he cannot change his DNA. this trans nonsense needs to go away. its absurd .
i understand the idea of freedom people have that they can wear an AIR JORDAN on one foot and a HIGH HEEL SHOE on the other and a skirt and a fedora and purple eye shadow on one eye and football grade eye black on the other eye…i can care less..they are free to do so..but i am also free to not give a damn and i am not obligated to prostrate myself or worship at their feet..but i am tired of people calling for people TO BE FIRED and people CALLING FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO BE MADE DESTITUTE ..when they do this THEY ARE USING HATE TO PUNISH PEOPLE FOR WHAT THEY INTERPRET AS HATE TO TRY TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT HATE IS WRONG…its hypocrisy…these people or more hateful than anybody else..they are narcissistic bullies who want to block people from making a living anybody who does not accept this new sickening moral platform
Seriously, the most important thing for many people is this stupidity about “misgendering” ?? Grow the heck up if that is what bothers you and face the facts that no matter what you do someone somewhere will find a reason to be insulted or offended. Whether the person committing the offense apologizes or not, move on and get back to what is important because this crap isn’t it.
whatever happened to civility. whatever happened to pride in your community. He does not represent Dr. Levine, but vindictively takes his tantrum out on his own constituency by cancelling the interview with Liz, who had nothing to do with the incident. Marty may be a jerk, but he apologized several times. Is the mayor now using his position as the judge and arbiter of politically correct speech. It seems like a childish tantrum that is beneath the office of the mayor. Sad
I want to make sure I understand the point of the story about misgendering Dr. Levine.
It is NOT that Dr. Levine’s policy in March forced nursing homes to accept patients who had covid-19.
It is NOT that Dr. Levine’s leadership has led to nearly 4,000 deaths, with 70% of those deaths occurring in the nursing homes she forced to accept covid patients.
It is NOT that Dr. Levine has been at best inept, and at worst criminally negligent.
The point of the story seems to be that in a pandemic the worst thing you can do is “misgender” someone.
Slow news day.
Griffin’s “apology” is BS. He knew exactly what he was doing, appealing to the retrograde bigots in the audience for ratings and clicks. Bravo Mayor Peduto.
I love seeing a smart doctor, representing the diversity of Pennsylvania, Dr. Rachel Levine giving us updates on Covid-19.
It’s not for me to decide if Marty did this on purpose, but it doesn’t look great when this is part of his history. At the very least, it’s completely unprofessional.
(It’s alarming how many straight men are obsessed with other people’s sexuality and sexual identify and try to make it their business, even in public forums like this.)
I applaud Bill Peduto for cancelling the interview.
Mr. Peduto should not have punished KDKA’s Ms. Hayes-Freeland because of Mr. Griffin. That would be like punishing city council for the mayor’s indifference and lack of leadership, except when it suits him. These are challenging times and you would think the mayor would like to offer some words of guidance.
While I will accept Mr. Griffin’s apology as an honest mistake, What I wont accept is Mayor Peduto being absolutely M.I.A. during this whole crisis. While He touts Himself as a “Progressive” Mayor, I cant remember anything “Progressive” He’s done in His years in office.
If this report is accurate, which clearly demonstrates a pattern regarding Mr. Griffin’s behavior, then KDKA should take steps now to remove him. What. Are. They. Waiting. For?!
my mother and stepdad used to get into it when she always asked him “when you gonna look at the brakes on the car” and he would say ”yeah i will”..they got into it cause he always put it off or whatever and always said “yeah..i will later”…well..He would really TICK HER OFF when he would eventually at a tactful moment ..he would say to her …”yes, maaam”…and she would get soooo mad…so you see what i am saying?…even with transgenders out of the picture and put aside…this proves that you dont have to MISGENDER someone to make them mad or upset them. Two women could probably do that to each other..its all in how its said…so in a way Marty Griffin or anybody else could have said “yes maaam” and still really tick someone off EVEN IF THEY DIDNT MISGENDER and said “yes, maaam” according to whatever gender identity..i am just saying..thats why i personally dont even call friends od bosses or co-workers “sir” or “maam”..because now it can be seen as derogatory even without misgendering and used according to gender and sound like sarcastic patronizing..in some groups…and like i said, i know how hat works because of how my stepdad said “yes, maam” to my mother..any of yunz guys have parents like that i would love to hear your story and have a few laughs..but i dont think nobdy should be enemies forever over the crap really.
this is the world we live in .. where rabid mad dogs run yelping through the streets , gnawing the marrow bones of what’s left of hope and decent thinking ..
I just saw a picture of IT. AHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGG, my eyes. I’ll address you as Alien Queen if you like, just put a very large mask on it. Maybe there is room to stick IT in a nursing home where all the empty beds are following Einstein’s brilliant idea to put hospital patients with the virus in nursing homes. Ugly and dumb as a box of rocks doesn’t create a bright outlook.
It must be nice to be able to insult someone repeatedly and get away with it!! Surely a person in Mr. Griffin’s profession whether he’s doing one thing or more should capable of knowing how to address anyone. There is and should not be any reason for a reporter not to know their job limitations. Maybe he is in the wrong job and it is he who needs a career move. Why can some people not accept and see others for what/who they are. Creed, color, and gender should not be a target for anyone to slur at!!