CNN's Phillips scolds viewers over “vicious emails,” says so-called “ex-gay” activist “was not the most appropriate guest”
Written by Karl Frisch
Published
On Wednesday we noted that GLAAD was calling for CNN to be held accountable for hosting so-called “ex-gay” activist Richard Cohen who, despite his permanent expulsion from the American Counseling Association in 2002 for “numerous violations of its rules, including those dealing with client welfare, dual relationships with clients and counselors, and advertising” was also promoted on a CNN blog post as an “expert in the field of sexual reorientation.”
Well, yesterday Phillips responded to the controversy surrounding the segment noting that Cohen “was not the most appropriate guest to have on” before scolding those who sent her “vicious emails” about the segment and articulating her “unswerving support for all communities in the battle for human rights, including gays, lesbians, and transgendered individuals.”
PHILLIPS: Richard Cohen was not the most appropriate guest to have on, but it is a decision that we made and the result of that is our continued discussion today. That is what journalism is all about. And we will continue to do our best to discuss gay and lesbian issues in a fair way on this program. I wish that all of you knew my heart. And as a journalist with a long track record of covering gay and lesbian issues, I wish that those of you who sent me vicious emails watched my newscast more often because if they did, my guess is they would not have been so quick to send such hateful messages. They don't know my record and my unswerving support for all communities in the battle for human rights, including gays, lesbians, and transgendered individuals. And to make it perfectly clear, I love debating issues. It evokes passion but if we cannot treat each other in a civil manner, even when we disagree, then we will never move forward and have a world where all people are treated with the respect that they deserve.
Related: