Discussing Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's comments about homosexuals in a recent speech at Columbia University, Colorado's Morning News co-host April Zesbaugh stated on the September 25 Newsradio 850 KOA broadcast that Iran's government has “persecuted and killed” all homosexuals in that nation. In reply, guest and fellow KOA host Mike Rosen remarked, “Maybe Boulder would like to send them a few, or something like that.”

Rosen and Zesbaugh, along with co-host Steffan Tubbs, were discussing Ahmadinejad's September 24 speech. According to a September 25 New York Times article, he told the university audience “that there were no homosexuals in Iran -- not one.”

As Colorado Media Matters has noted, Rosen on his August 16, 2006, broadcast defended former Republican lieutenant governor candidate Janet Rowland's “intellectual point” in making comments linking gay marriage to bestiality, polygamy, and marriage involving 11-year-olds. According to Rosen, Rowland was making “an entirely defensible point,” but he added that he would have “advised her to use a different example than bestiality,” suggesting “the example of incest” instead.

From the September 25 broadcast of Newsradio 850 KOA's Colorado's Morning News:

ROSEN: So I enjoyed Columbia University President Lee Bollinger's introduction of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He finally found his backbone, Lee Bollinger did. Of course, he has had to after the explosion of criticism following the invitation. And then we heard this rambling speech starting the first half of which, starting with this -- who knows what he was talking about -- discussion of theocracy and spirituality and materialism and science. And then, of course, he stonewalled so many of the questions that were put to him directly. We'll have fun dissecting that this morning.

TUBBS: And also his comments on homosexuality. I --

ZESBAUGH: And the Holocaust.

TUBBS: I just --

ZESBAUGH: Weird.

ROSEN: Well, there are no homosexuals in --

ZESBAUGH: No.

ROSEN: -- Iran.

ZESBAUGH: They persecuted and killed them all.

ROSEN: Maybe Boulder would like to send them a few, or something like that. [laughs]

TUBBS: How 'bout your Rockies, Mike?