Hitz FM Apologises After Being Called Out For 'Tone-Deaf Transphobic' Video
The radio station has also taken down the video from their social media pages.
By Sadho Ram — 22 Sep 2017, 06:46 PM
Hitz FM has apologised after being called out on social media for a video featuring two of the station's deejays
Screenshot from the video showing two Hitz FM DJs checking out a person walking past them.
Image via Hitz FMThe video, which was uploaded on Hitz FM's social media pages on 20 September, showed their two DJs checking out someone walking past them. After finding out that the person wasn’t a woman, they started vomiting.
Hitz FM had captioned the video as, "When a pretty girl turns out to be a guy. Have you ever been so startled that you feel like throwing up?"
In their statement to media houses, Hitz FM said, "We at Hitz.fm would like to apologise for the said video, and have since removed it. Thank you."
The radio station was aptly criticised for their distasteful video by netizens including the recipient of the 2016 U.S. International Women of Courage Award, Nisha Ayub
Posting on her Facebook page, Nisha shot at Hitz FM, saying, "What kind of message are you "perfect people" bringing to your listeners?
"Do you so-called "perfect people" know the impact of your discriminative video towards the community coming from all age, race or religion?"
Nisha said that the video encourages transphobia
She asked if the radio station was trying to encourage bullying and hatred of people who have a different gender identity or expression.
Noting how the transgender community has faced so much discrimination, violence, and has even been the victims of hate crime in Malaysia, Nisha brought up her disappointment on media that would perpetuate such degrading messages to the public.
"It could be a joke to you but your joke could also effect someone's life," she wrote
Nisha also called out both the DJs who were shown vomiting at the sight of the person they had assumed to be a woman.
Screenshot from the video showing the other DJ vomiting in the back.
Image via Nisha Ayub via Hitz FM