Be careful what you say on Facebook. That’s the lesson Cincinnati Fox 19 anchor Tricia Macke learned this week when she made homophobic comments about MSNBC host Rachel Maddow and was subsequently suspended.
Macke posted on her Facebook page that Maddow, an out lesbian, is an “angry young man.” After the comment went viral when the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) posted a screenshot of it, Macke responded that she should have said “antagonistic,” adding, “I knew what I was saying.”
Macke, who has been with Cincinnati’s Fox affiliate for almost 20 years, was suspended for two days. She subsequently removed the post and issued a real apology, saying: “I recently posted comments on my personal Facebook page regarding cable news anchor Rachel Maddow which were insensitive and inappropriate. I apologize to Ms. Maddow and any others who may have been offended by my comments, as they do not reflect my firm beliefs in individual and equal rights, and they certainly do not represent the opinions or position of my employer WXIX-TV.”
