Right wing talk radio personality Dori Monson no longer has a platform from which to promote Tim Eyman’s destructive initiatives and other harmful agendas. At least not for the time being, anyway.
The Seattle Seahawks and Bonneville International, which owns KIRO FM) revealed today that they have suspended Monson indefinitely after he posted a transphobic tweet during Wednesday’s gubernatorial debate between Democratic incumbent Jay Inslee and Republican challenger Loren Culp.
The tweet has been deleted, but we have a copy of it. It said:
“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.”
– Dori Monson
As Cascadia Advocate readers are likely aware, this is hardly the first offensive and discriminatory thing that Dori has said.
Nonetheless, it prompted a fresh outcry on social media.
“If the Seahawks truly believe they are attempting to create a welcoming and inclusive football community in this region, they need to disassociate themselves with Dori Monson and his glib transphobia,” tweeted Mike All Sawyer the night of the debate.
“Hi Seahawks — as a season ticket holder and longtime fan, and also someone from a family that loves and supports trans people, please cut ties with this man. He’s generally pretty awful, but definitely transphobic as evidenced in this tweet,” wrote Jenna Rahm.
The Seahawks, not surprisingly, acted first, and Bonneville followed suit.
Monson did not host his show today.
When contacted by The Seattle Times for comment, Monson declined to say anything on the record. Smart move. As the old adage goes, when you’re in a hole, quit digging. Monson knows he’s in a hole — one of his own making — and is choosing to lay low rather than make things worse for himself.
Bonneville-owned KIRO FM also said that it would have no comment on the matter, citing its policy on personnel matters.
On social media, however, there were plenty of people offering comment.
“No one is going to miss Dori Monson/Dori Monson Show, Seahawks. Seattle has much better,” tweeted Vikkids.
“Dori Monson getting kicked to the curb is a nice way to celebrate Blue Friday,” SkiffFeldSpar agreed.
“He says outrageous thing on his radio show all the time. There’s free speech and then there’s decency. Dori Monson is a huge jerk. He shouldn’t be rewarded for saying outrageous things,” greenchile opined.
“Yeah, it’s politics. And when it comes to your employer, politics is a perfectly legitimate reason to no longer pay someone to work for you. Sorry Trumpies, free speech simply doesn’t apply here. He’s got the same speech rights he always had. He just doesn’t have that job,” Joe Puhlman pointed out. (Right wing groups and activists are all for “employer rights” except when it comes to an employer’s right to suspend or sack someone for spouting bigoted right wing views.)
I went on Dori’s show twice last year to respond to his attacks on multimodal transportation infrastructure and make the case against Tim Eyman’s I‑976 to his listeners. I did so from KIRO’s studio on both occasions rather than by phone. I found Dori’s off-air demeanor to be rather different from his on-air one. When not speaking into a microphone, he doesn’t speak as loudly or irritatingly, for example. I found him capable of carrying on a normal, cordial conversation with no other audience except for me and his producer.
It’s Dori’s on-air, on social media persona that is the problem. I believe Dori speaks and acts the way he does to cultivate his right wing following. It’s not clear to me that he truly holds all of the beliefs that he espouses to hold through his now suspended program.
Our region simply doesn’t need uninformed, bigoted, right wing commentary on our airwaves. It would be wonderful to see Dori’s tired, harmful show get canceled permanently and be replaced by programming that’s actually informative and educational.
I’m sure that if Dori leaves, the station will find a voice with similar views. Much like when Bill O’Reilly left Fox.
We love Dori and hope he comes back soon.
One of the only conservative points of view in the far left state of Washington, he has a following that is vast and very supportive of the subjects he discusses.
You’re correct that Washington is a pretty progressive state, Jeff. And that’s no surprise, because progressive values are the values Washington was founded on.
However, you’re wrong that Dori is one of the only people expressing right wing points of view.
The right wing talk radio constellation around here (for which there is no progressive equivalent) is pretty significant. It includes Jason Rantz (an on air persona, not the host’s real name), Kirby Wilbur, John Carlson, and Todd Herman. And then there are the nationally syndicated shows.
But that is hardly the extent of the right wing’s media and think tank apparatus. There are the right wing think tanks: the Washington Policy Center, the “Freedom” Foundation, the Discovery Institute. All local outfits that publish websites and newsletters and often get opeds placed in newspapers. There are far more right wing think tanks at the national level.
Several newspapers in the state employ editorial writers sympathetic to right wing causes, as well. And then there is Sinclair Broadcasting, which runs right wing programming on the TV stations it owns, like KOMO 4 (Seattle).
There are right wing blogs and websites, too, like the one Glen Morgan runs.
I can go on, but the point has been made: you’re wrong that Dori is “one of the only” right wing points of view around here. Dori’s views are extremely well represented in local media.
As a long time listener of Dori I found him interesting and sometimes annoying but what he stated in his tweet was a simple fact, hardly something to destroy a person’s career over. This decision by KIRO has led me to no longer listen to 97.3. Hope you’re happy!
Always loved Dori. I hope you bring him back.
So, anyone expressing conservative or independent views that don’t align with liberal views are now “far right”? As an extremely supportive father of a trans son, I have a good perspective on this. We need to stop this division.
What he said was factual and actually is a valid point. If we go with straight up science then his point is valid. If we go with the sister to science, in psychology, then we know that it is a bit different. But the science supports Dori on this.
My heart and mind support the sister to science. This idea that we can just outright attempt to destroy people and their careers for having valid differing points of view is only making us who support the cause look more and more like hypocrites.
You may think you are doing something valuable and good, but in truth, it will have the opposite effect. Just wish many of my liberal friends would be able to open their minds up to this and get back to the idea that we can debate like adults and get to the actual context of statements before demanding a sacrifice.
We knew that this would happen. They were just waiting for him to say one thing that they could twist just enough that this would happen. The truth hurts.
This comment has been edited by NPI for compliance with our Commenting Guidelines.
So, wow… if you don’t like Dori, don’t listen.
I truly get very mad at him at times. But it’s good to hear something he thinks. It makes me think about it. And I have turned him off many times.
This will be a great loss if we lose him. Kind of like Ron and Don.
And I tuned them them off from time to time, too.
This comment has been lightly edited by NPI for spelling and grammar.
I have been listing to Dori for many years. His view shows the other side of the coin a lot of times.
Wen I listen to the issues I like to hear both sides.
Dori always brought us the other side of the story. And he usually gives another view, so we can make an educated decision. But now, you (KIRO) have taken that away from us.
This comment has been edited by NPI for compliance with our Commenting Guidelines.
I am glad to see him go away.
I was hoping that someone on KIRO or the parent company would realize how awful and disgusting he is, but I’ll settle for him destroying his own career and showing his true colors.
There is a place for right wing media and ideals of course, but it should not be on KIRO FM.
As for KIRO, they have done the right thing by suspending Dori but I believe them to be highly hypocritical to keep airing his commercials and sponsorships.
You do it right and cut ties with this horrible person and stop the theater, which is what it looks like to me. I think Bonneville is giving themselves a chance to restore Dori since he makes them so much money.
For once, do the right thing.
This comment has been lightly edited by NPI for spelling and grammar.
Dori Monson has been spewing hate and hostility for a long time. He is negative. He is a native of Seattle as I am (sixty four years here). Seattle is not the same city as it was in the seventies, eighties, and beyond. Dori lives in the past reminiscing about the old Ballard. Seattle has changed. He would be better served by moving out of the area where his conservative values, attitudes and beliefs would be better received. He is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Go progressives!
I watch Monson’s fall with interest. As a long-time anti-war liberal, I never quite forgave Dori for championing the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
On the other hand, Dori over time proved to be intelligent and entertaining, and on many topics, right, not just right wing. His jabs at the excesses of the Left usually were at minimum rational. For example, his criticisms of Sawant, who is likely to be recalled next February. Or his criticisms of the Woke crowd’s looting and rioting. Or his criticisms of the movement to defund police.
Dori could be insightful, which is probably why ‘they’ got him by pressuring KIRO and the parent organization.
Excesses and all, he possessed insights lost among the trendy woke community, with its associations with Marxism.
As to his tweet, it was stupid, not humorous, and an example of rank carelessness.
I heard him apologize the day after, but I can’t help noticing that the Woke Left in response has been vengeful and, forgive me, psychopathically PC.
Getting rid of Dori won’t hide that vicious face from independent observers.
This comment has been lightly edited by NPI for compliance with our Commenting Guidelines.
It’s always good to look at both sides of everything and gain understanding. I miss that now.
I love listening to Dori. He really cares about this area and its people. I have disagreed with him at times but usually he is spot on and he always gives both sides of the story. He has worked tirelessly trying to give us information about all the activities going on in this area with true passion. I really hope to see him back soon.
If Dori is out, so am I.
I love the Dori Monson show. He is the only reason I turn the radio on. I hope he’s back soon.
Could not happen to a nicer guy.…
I miss Dori Monson on his daily program. Hes the only one that tells the truth. It would be wise if you reinstated him. I got the best news of Seattle and the state from Dori…
I for one love Dori and will probably never listen to KIRO again if he doesn’t come back. I’m sure I speak for a lot of others when I say that too.
This comment has been edited by NPI for compliance with our Commenting Guidelines.