Featured Image Credit: Marnie and Campo / Facebook
Topics: Australia
Shiala Mahmood
An Australian radio host is facing backlash after his on-air comments about not wanting his 14-year-old daughter to share a bathroom with a transgender student.
Paul Campion has found himself being scrutinised after his comments about the bathrooms that transgender students use.
Campion who hosts River 94.9FN's Marnie and Campo breakfast show, stated that he does not agree with the Queensland government police which states that transgender students are allowed to choose which bathroom they use.
The radio host also mentioned that his 14-year-old daughter was sharing a bathroom with a 13-year-old transgender student, which he was unhappy about.
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Campion expressed that he was fearful of his daughter's safety at school because of a transgender student sharing the same bathroom.
According to The Courier Mail, the host also made reference to the students genitalia.
The father of two was met with backlash after his comments, with members of parents groups writing letters of complaints to the radio station.
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Founder of the social media support group Parents of Transgender Kids Michelle Inns expressed her disgust over Campions comments, she said: "There is a significant level of disgust in our community for the comments made on the show about transgender children, their access to school bathrooms (a right that is enforced by Education Queensland).
"The discussion of a minor‘s genitalia on public radio is also extremely inappropriate."
Inns expressed her disappointment and stressed the difficulties that transgender children are already facing.
She added: "It is bitterly disappointing after all of the recent community backlash against transgender discrimination in our schools and political system that the radio station has allowed this kind of behaviour."
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"People seem to assume that shared bathroom use is putting their children at risk.
"Our kids are already struggling with their bodies and are incredibly self conscious, it’s more likely they will be seeking privacy and trying to avoid conflict.”
On Friday, the radio host addressed his comments and issues an apology stating he did not intend to cause any offence but he stood by his reasoning for making the comments.
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Speaking on-air he said: "My comments were not meant to hurt anyone, they are simply a father trying to manoeuvre a changing world with his 14-year-old daughter, who is also having to understand things she knows nothing about.
“If you see my protection and feelings about my daughter as transphobic, there is not much I can do about that," he continued.
"We can all learn something but this is about everyone's feelings and not just one group ... my feelings were purely about my daughter and protecting her."
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Studio general manager David Wiltshire said that while the broadcast did not breach the commercial radio code of practice, that the discussion should not have taken place on the air.
"We agree that the discussion around transgender girls sharing changing facilities with cisgender girls should never have taken place on our broadcast,” he said.
Wilshire confirmed that the radio station's staff have since undergone sensitivity training over how to discuss transgender issues.