New Perth Lord Mayor and media personality Basil Zempilas apologized to transgender people for the comments he made on his morning radio show, saying he » forgot « his new elected role
Yesterday, M Zempilas, who was elected to office earlier this month, told listeners to the breakfast show he co-hosted on 6PR that it was « wrong » for someone to identify as gender different from his physical anatomy
M Zempilas also called on all women with penises to call the radio station for a chance to win a $ 100 voucher.
« For a brief moment… I forgot I was the mayor of the city of Perth, » said Mr. Zempilas
« It was my mistake It’s my job to be better than this and it won’t happen again
« I know what a transgender person is and I regret the comments I have made because I know they are not helpful »
There was a strong backlash from Perth’s trans and LBGTIQ community, with famous drag queen Scarlet Adams sharing a video of herself dancing to ‘F *** You’ from Lily Allen – who castigates people with intolerant views – and tears up a photo of M Zempilas
A rally against M Zempilas is also scheduled for this Saturday in the city of Perth, with organizers calling on people to « resist transphobia »
Holly Elkes, a trans woman who worked at Connections nightclub in the CBD for six years, said she knew Mr. Zempilas had already been to the scene and had met trans people
« We have heard these comments everyday for decades and get tired of them when they come from the general public, let alone from someone in a position of power making decisions on our behalf
« If you want to be in a position of power you have to educate yourself It’s like queer people 101 »
Holly’s mother Deb called ABC Radio Perth to say she was « mortified » by the comments
« [Trans people] hear these words every day and when it comes from a person of power, it allows everyone to start doing it too
« To top it off, when you offer a cash voucher to comment on this it’s disgusting in my opinion
« [Holly] works at a CBD facility that brings money to Perth. There are a lot of trans people working there, and she thinks that stuff Basil spits out is another reason people are licking it. also hear as transphobic
M Zempilas is the permanent host of the WA Telethon fundraising event, which is sponsored by Seven West Media
The Telethon Kids Institute is currently conducting research on discrimination and marginalization related to gender identity
« At Telethon Kids, we were disappointed to read the comments from our new Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas about the transgender community, » the institute said.
« Telethon Kids is an independent medical research institute and we are absolutely committed to our research and advocacy to support transgender children and youth
« We acknowledge Basil’s apologies and will invite him to visit the Institute to learn more about the research we are conducting and the issues facing the transgender community »
Mr Zempilas was confronted with questions during the press conference of some of his colleagues, with veteran Channel 7 reporter Geof Parry telling him: « Less than a week after starting work and you are a bit embarrassing for the city of Perth, Baz? «
He said he would invite people from transgender and non-binary communities to meet and educate him and said his comments did not reflect his views or values.
By accepting the role of Lord Mayor, Mr. Zempilas said he would step down from his high-level job on the 6PR radio show later this year
He said he would remain a sports presenter for Seven West Media and also continue to write a weekly column for The West Australian newspaper, which is also owned by Seven West.
This column was also the source of negative reactions from human rights groups after Mr. Zempilas wrote of how he would ‘forcefully evict’ homeless people from the streets of Perth, calling them a ‘bane’ of the city
We asked M Zempilas if the on-air blunder revealed a problem with him working as a broadcaster while also occupying the role of Lord Mayor
« It’s my job to do it right It’s my job to find that balance, » he says
« I think in most cases I understand it well But I accept that yesterday, for a brief moment, I was not in top form
« It was a bad broadcast and it’s a mistake I shouldn’t have made, and I won’t do it again
« I just have to be better at combining these roles This is what it shows I can’t make mistakes like I did yesterday »
He said he would not rule out working as a broadcaster next year while performing his duties as Lord Mayor, but said he had not received any offers from other radio stations. radio
« And I think that will add to my role as Lord Mayor of the City of Perth, so I won’t rule it out »
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Basil Zempilas, Perth, Lord mayor, PrideFest
World News – UA – « Find out »: Comments on transgender people from Perth’s new Lord Mayor multiply