Australian “Today Show” Host Unleashes Torrent Of Transphobic Slurs On Live TV

He added: "I'm happy to have a beer or cocktail with anyone I offended."
From: NewNowNext

Australia’s Today Show host Karl Stefanovic issued an apology on Twitter today after repeatedly using a transphobic slur to set up a series of offensive “jokes” at the transgender community’s expense.

Stefanovic started casually using the word “tranny” during a live shot with reporter Chrstine Ahern, who described how she and her camera crew were mugged by “a group of transvestites” shortly after arriving in Rio de Janeiro to cover the upcoming Olympics.

“We had to shoot a piece to camera on the beach and things just turned really quickly,” Ahern reported.

“We came across a group of transvestites, one very strong — the only reason it is important is because they were very strong. One came straight for us and tried to get my cameraman’s camera but he was so scared about telling the boss that he had lost the camera within an hour of landing in Rio, so he held on to it.”

.@ChristineAhern & cameraman survived a would-be robber in Rio! #9Today https://t.co/PVdZZdiN8g

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) July 27, 2016

“At first I was afraid I was petrified, I kept thinking I could never live without you by my side,” Stefanovic joked, as Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” played in the background. You can see the beginning of the exchange in the tweet above, which The Today Show edited before posting.

Where the clip above ends, Stefanovic began insinuating the cameraman, Karl, was “no stranger to trannies.”

He continued:

“He has fought off tougher trannies. They don’t call him the bull for nothing. Let’s be serious, because one of them was armed with a brick in their handbag and that was used as a weapon against your security guard or a police officer, is that right?

The other thing is Chris, I know that you have gone to see the police about this tranny. We have a confit made up and we know they don’t all look the same.”

The shot cuts to a mock-up “wanted” poster with a picture of a drag queen from the movie Priscilla, Queen of The Desert as Stefanovic persists: “Is that the tranny they are talking about?”

Following an influx of complaints on Thursday, Stefanovic took to Twitter to apologize for the comments while claiming “complete ignorance.”

“I’m happy to have a beer or cocktail with anyone I offended,” he wrote.

I'm very sorry Chloe. I'm happy to have a beer or cocktail with anyone I offended. It was complete ignorance. https://t.co/aPCsv0JLZi

— Karl Stefanovic (@karlstefanovic) July 28, 2016

It’s unclear whether Ahern’s attackers were transgender women, drag queens, neither, or both, but the offensive connotation of the word “tranny” is crystal clear.

According to GLAAD, which lists the word on its most recent Media Reference Guide, it’s considered “profoundly offensive” by some and “should not be used in mainstream media.”

You can watch an extended version of the un-edited clip at news.com.au.