Pittsburgh radio talk show host Marty Griffin came under fire for misgendering PA Health Secretary Levine during an interview. The real issue isn’t pronouns, but leadership.
Pittsburgh radio talk show host Marty Griffin has come under fire for mis-gendering Pennsylvania's Health Secretary during an interview. Health Secretary Rachel Levine has been widely criticized for her actions concerning nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Levine is a transwoman, and in her conversation with Griffin it became clear that she cares more about her pronouns than the people of Pennsylvania.
Investigate PA Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary Levine immediately https://t.co/UmPhj3UuO4
— Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec)
The transcript of the debacle shows Griffin mis-gendering Levine more than once.
"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?" Griffin asked. "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."
After Levine answered, Griffin went on to ask, "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?"
"So please don't misgender me," Levine said.
"I'm so sorry," Griffin said.
Levine said that, "It's really insulting."
"I apologize," Griffin said. "It's not malicious. I apologize. I'm so sorry."
But Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, upon hearing of this misgendering mistake, decided to cancel his interview with KDKA Radio, referring to the show—one which he notes he used to respect—as "sensationalism and worse."
Cancelled interview w/ Lynne Hayes-Freeland for tomorrow. Not upset w/her, she’s always been a fair, strong journalist. But will not support @KDKARadio behavior. Growing up, KDKA had good people who made us proud to be from Pittsburgh. Now, it shock-jocks, sensationalism & worse.
— bill peduto (@billpeduto)
Griffin took to Twitter as well, saying that he was "truly" sorry for this misgendering.
I apologize. I apologized twice. I truly did. It was not intentional. It was not. I was not focused. I was doing six things at once. https://t.co/cdBO9r1iF8
— Marty Griffin (@MartyGriffinKD)
The real issue, however, is that under health secretary Levine's direction, thousands of people have lost their lives. Griffin stated that he was not intending to misgender Levine. Yet this is the story being discussed. Levine was on the show to talk about the devastating numbers of deaths in Pennsylvania nursing homes, not her gender identity. Those questions were not adequately answered.
Under Levine's direction, nursing homes and long-term care facilities in Pennsylvania have experienced a great numbers of fatalities. In response to the outbreaks at nursing homes in the state, Levine, who should be looking out for all the residents of Pennsylvania, took her own mother out of the long-term care home in which she was in residence. Levine's mother is now safely ensconced in a hotel, and while the death toll rises, Levine refuses to answer questions about her leadership, and instead harps on her gender identity.
Among Levine's failed policies in one that requires all elderly people to be put back in nursing homes and long-term care facilities after testing positive for COVID-19. Instead of addressing this problematic approach, Levine shrugged off criticism by saying that all states across the country are having trouble with nursing homes. Her primary concern appeared to be her own gender identity.
It is beyond petty—especially in the midst of a global pandemic.
Additionally, the lack of inspections after dozens died in a Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Beaver County has resulted in the filing of a class-action lawsuit against the state.
An investigation needs to be launched into Governor Tom Wolfe and Health Secretary Rachel Levine for an astounding level of neglect to care for the elderly in their own state.
The issue of misgendering is merely a rouse so that Levine can avoid taking responsibility for the real issue. The lack of leadership and consistency from the top levels of Pennsylvania government, and the high number of deaths in that state, should be of a far greater concern to Health Secretary Levine and her cohorts than her pronouns.
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