‘Fox & Friends Has the Casual Bigotry Down Pat’
Fox News host Ainsley Earhardt reported on a milestone Wednesday morning. Telling “Fox & Friends” viewers about the results of Tuesday night’s Vermont Democratic primary race for governor, Earhardt and her co-hosts laughed as they focused on the 14-year old boy, rather than telling viewers anything about the nation’s first openly-transgender person to win a gubernatorial nomination.
They also referred to her in an ugly, dismissive, and ignorant manner. Because to Fox News it was all just a big joke. Vermont residents likely disagree.
“That transgender beat the 14-year old,” Earhardt said, describing Christine Hallquist, the Democratic former CEO of a consumer energy company. “Remember, they didn’t have an age limit? The 14-year old said, ‘Well, I’m going to run,’ ran in the primary, didn’t win.”
Notice Earhardt’s dismissive and offensive description: “that transgender.”
Not “the transgender woman,” or “a transgender woman.” Not “a candidate who is transgender.” Not even the word “person.”
But, “that transgender.”
On social media some expressed anger and outrage.