On March 19th, 2018, WLRN’s Thistle Pettersen aired interviews with feminists Julie Bindel and Meghan Murphy via WORT 89.9 FM’s airwaves.

Two days later, a public discussion took place at the station that Thistle was not invited to nor was she aware that it was happening. This is a recording of that discussion.

Brief Overview of the 34 minute-long Recording of the Meeting:

Emily Mills, journalist with Our Lives Magazine, Dylan Brogan of the Isthmus magazine, Nathan MQuillen, paid staff at WORT 89.9 FM and Glenn Mitroff, paid staff Volunteers Coordinator at WORT, in addition to others, speak disparagingly of Thistle’s character.

They say her radio show is “harmful” and they accuse her of being “less than honest” and pulling a “bait and switch” regarding her program.

Regarding this last point, the truth is, Thistle had met about a month before the program aired with Molly Stentz, WORT’s news director, and had outlined the content of the live interviews she was going to air. The news director had not objected to Thistle’s choice of guests and the program was aired.

The only thing that changed about the program is that one of Thistle’s guests could not be on the air live, so Thistle recorded the interview ahead of time.

You can listen to the interviews Thistle did with Julie and Meghan here.

Why is it that women talking about the impacts of gender identity culture and laws on girls and women is viewed as “hate speech” and “incredibly harmful” to the community? Why are women not allowed to use our own tools of analysis and speech to describe women’s oppression?

Minutes Markers for Speakers at the March 21st 2018 WORT board meeting:

Emily Mills (Minutes 1:15-6:25) is author of this libelous piece in Our Lives Magazine.

Emily Mills says “Thistle has harassed people I know who identify as transgender or non-binary” but provides no evidence for this statement.

David Devereaux-Weber, WORT board president (Minutes 6:25-6:55)

Dylan Brogan, Isthmus Staff Writer and former assistant news director at WORT (Minutes 6:55-11:20) Dylan was at the meeting primarily to defend Molly Stentz’s reputation among her peers at the station but he also made disparaging comments about Ms. Pettersen.

There was no “bait and switch” Here is proof on the WORT web site from a December 2017 post.

Nathan MQuillen (Minutes 11:25-16:35)   Since this meeting, Nathan has been dismissed from the WORT community due to charges of sexual assault of a child.

In Nathan’s testimony he says that Thistle’s guest (Meghan Murphy) engaged in “blanket misgendering of transgender individuals” and that the show should have been yanked from the air starting at the 16 minutes mark due to this.

Glenn Mitroff (Minutes 16:45-20:25) Glenn is the Volunteers Coordinator for WORT. He complains of Thistle’s past shows that should have been “evidence” that the March 19th show was going to be just as bad. You can hear those two shows here and here.

Nathan MQuillen (Minutes 20:35-22:25) 

Dylan Brogan (Minutes 22:05-22:54) “I really think Molly needs to be here since her actions are being called into question.”

Paul Novak, WORT board member. (Minutes 23:20-24:15)

Minutes 24:20-24:35 Jerry Chernow, WORT board member.

Minutes 24:35-26:25 Stuart Levitan, WORT board member talking with another WORT board member who says he thinks the show violated the WORT mission statement. Stu asks him if he’s listened to the show and he says “no.”

26:35-29:23 David, Doug and Stu discuss process and somebody mentions they have not heard Molly Stentz’ point of view.

29:25 – 30:13 Glenn Mitroff

30:15-30:55 Dylan Brogan

30:55-32:10 Nathan MQuillen

32:12 – 33:35 Emily Mills refuting the idea that Molly and others “didn’t know” how bad the content would be. “How can you argue that? Wasn’t Thistle banned from the station or from station equipment use about a year ago?” Cites other two Access Hour shows with lesbian feminists and interviews from the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival as “evidence” of Thistle’s past “violations.”

The board of WORT did indeed create a statement after months of discussing Thistle’s Access Hour program from March 19th. That statement was sent to Thistle by a WORT board member in November 2018, 8 months after the program was aired. Why so much talk and fuss over a woman talking about sex and gender? WORT statement is here. WORT statement condemning March 19th Access Hour