Rogers suspends 92 CITI FM’s Wheeler after on-air transgender remarks

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DJ Dave Wheeler has been suspended from his morning show on 92 CITI FM after a backlash over comments he made about transgender people Monday.

Rogers Media won’t say, however, whether he’s officially suspended, whether he’s being paid while off-air or how long he will be gone.

Wheeler was suspended after a controversy over comments he made during a conversation about actress Scarlett Johansson being pulled from an upcoming film in which she was slated to play a trans man.

On air, he compared transgender people to actors pretending to be “different things.”

Shortly after the start of Tuesday’s Wheeler in the Morning show, co-host Rena Jae read a statement on behalf of Rogers Media.

“Dave’s words yesterday reflect a lack of understanding and sensitivity to transgender issues,” Jae said.

Wheeler’s statements “do not reflect our company’s values,” and he’s “currently off-air.”

Rogers Media’s senior communications director sent a similar statement to the Free Press.

“The comments do not represent our standards and core values, and we apologize for the insensitive and hurtful remarks made by Dave Wheeler. We do not condone this type of behaviour, and we are taking steps to address this,” said Andrea Goldstein.

Rogers Media said he’s off-air for the time being, but wouldn’t elaborate or answer further questions.

Cynthia Fortlage, president of the Rainbow Resource Centre and a trans woman, joined the morning show as a guest Tuesday. Beforehand, she spoke to the other staff and program director.

“It was very good — the staff and program manager were very apologetic. They wanted to make sure that it did not reflect their own personal values or the organization,” she said.

Staff told her they’ve not been invited to take part in Pride, based at least in part on comments Wheeler has made in the past.

As for the on-air segment, she called it a good conversation, which started with what it’s like to be transgender.

Further, Fortlage said she understands some people have different opinions on trans people than she does — but that doesn’t mean she and other transgender people don’t deserve respect.

“You can say, ‘I’m not sure I believe in that, but I understand that you do,’ rather than just saying you’re wrong,” she said. “You need to accept I’m a human being first, then we can have understanding.”

Fortlage emphasized the power of words and the media to influence people both positively and negatively, adding some people may take comments dismissing transgender people as a reason to attack them.

This is not the first time the radio host has caused controversy. In 2016, Wheeler was suspended for a week for producing a pair of videos on YouTube considered by many to be racist and sexist.

Transcona Girls, set to the tune of California Girls by the Beach Boys, included the lyrics, “North End daughters really like to stab and steal your bike, and the Wolseley girls with their hairy pits, they keep their girlfriends warm at night.”

North End Boy, a spoof of John Denver’s Thank God I’m a Country Boy, contained the lyrics, “Well there’s holes in the wall and blood stained red, I try to fall asleep but I got no bed, I go outside try not to end up dead, thank God I’m a North End boy.”

Activists protesting outside 92 CITI FM studio after his 2016 suspension called for him to be fired.

“What Wheeler has been saying is infuriating. His disregard for communities that are at risk is obvious,” transgender man Xavier Raddysh said in a Facebook message.

“Since his attack on women, and specifically Indigenous women (in 2016), to now trans people, shows that his life view is very skewed and very narrow.”

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Erik Pindera
Reporter

Erik Pindera reports for the city desk, with a particular focus on crime and justice.

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