‘It’s too much’: Kyle Sandilands has no time for non-binary pronouns

KIIS FM radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands is an outspoken supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community, but evidently that respect does not extend to non-binary pronouns.

Talking with co-host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson, and their openly gay newsreader Brooklyn Ross, Sandilands said he was “not buying” the use of “their” in replace of “he”.

The comments were made before an interview aired with British pop star Sam Smith, 27, who last year came out as non-binary and asked to be addressed by the pronouns they/them.

“I’m sick of this. Why should I have to do this?” said Sandilands on Tuesday’s show.

“I’ll now be allowed to use the N-word because I identify as a Black woman. Is that right? Is that how it works?” Henderson told her KIIS FM co-host, “That’s the way it is these days, hun.”

But Sandilands, 48, was having none of it: “I’m not buying into the ‘their’. I can’t. It’s too much,” he continued. “‘They’re an absolute sweetie,’ like there’s two of them,” he said.

Pink News UK jumped at correcting the host, saying “gender identity is innate and informed by social constructs, whereas race is external and enforced by cultural power structures.”

King Kyle does appear to be struggling after returning to work on Monday following survey break.

On Today’s show, he proceeded to tear up the run sheet, twice: “Now we can’t go on, because there are no run sheets. The show’s over guys.”

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Hear where it all went wrong on today's Podcast (LINK IN BIO) #KJshow

A post shared by Kyle and Jackie O (@kyleandjackieo) on Apr 21, 2020 at 7:28pm PDT

KIIS 106.5 Sydney, owned by Australian Radio Network, celebrated the fourth year of their Mardi Gras partnership in February.

Kyle & Jackie O were absent this year, but in 2019 spent the parade atop the KIIS float, joined by Ross, Sandilands’ ex-girlfriend Imogen Anthony and station favourite, the Cash Cock.

KIIS Network Drive duo Will & Woody also marched in the parade with ARN and KIIS staff last year and again in February, even pulling off a huge surprise atop a Mardi Gras float.

The interview with Smith did go ahead, albeit free from any pronouns.