'Gay counselling' call rejected (Northern Ireland's 'first lady' probed by police)

The BBC ^ | June 6, 2008

[Stoat]

'Gay counselling' call rejected

Iris Robinson said gay people should seek counselling

A gay rights campaigner has rejected a Northern Ireland assembly member's call for homosexuals to seek psychiatric counselling.

David McCartney from the Rainbow Project was responding to comments from Iris Robinson, who is the chair of the Stormont health committee.

Mrs Robinson said with help, gay people could be "turned around".

Mr McCartney said there was "no body of evidence" to support this and asked to meet the MP.

Mrs Robinson made her comments on BBC Radio Ulster's Nolan Show on Friday.

She said she would defend her right to express religious beliefs, while also condemning violence against the gay community.

 

"I have a very lovely psychiatrist who works with me in my offices and his Christian background is that he tries to help homosexuals - trying to turn away from what they are engaged in," she said.

"I'm happy to put any homosexual in touch with this gentleman and I have met people who have turned around and become heterosexuals."

Sinn Féin's Education Minister Catríona Ruane said politicians should be guided by equality legislation.

"There are equality laws in the north of Ireland," she said.

"I think it is really important that politicians play a leadership role and that leadership role should be not to say anything that could possibly inflame the situation or cause further distress."

In a statement the Royal College of Psychiatrists said that homosexuality was not a psychiatric disorder.

(An audio clip from the referenced BBC Radio program is available at this article's web page)

[Stoat]

Also:

Northern Ireland's 'first lady' probed by police over gay hate rant on BBC radio show News This is London

Northern Ireland's 'first lady' probed by police over gay hate rant on BBC radio show

Last updated at 01:15am on 08.06.08

 

Iris Robinson referred to gays as 'disgusting, loathsome and shamefully wicked' during a live phone-in on BBC Radio Ulster

Northern Ireland's first lady is being investigated by police following allegations she committed a hate crime by launching a withering attack on homosexuality.

In an outburst on a live phonein on BBC Radio Ulster on Friday, Iris Robinson, the 57-year-old wife of First Minister Peter Robinson, referred to gays as 'disgusting, loathsome, shamefully wicked and vile.'

She called homosexuality 'an abomination' but said she knew of a cure.

'I have a lovely psychiatrist who works with me and his Christian background is that he tries to help homosexuals - trying to turn them away from what they are engaged in,' she said.

Now Andrew Muir, 31-year-old co-ordinator of the pressure group Gays and Lesbians Across (County) Down, has made a formal complaint to police.

He said last night: 'They were reluctant to pursue the matter until I told them it was covered by the hate crimes legislation and I would not be leaving until they took a statement from me.'

*******************************************

Some reader comments from The Evening Standard:

____________________________________________

Soon it will be a "hate" crime to NOT be gay.
Soon calling thugs, thugs, will be a hate crime.
Soon simply saying "I don't like you" will be a hate crime.

- Trunk, US

This might just be what this country needs, here is where we find out if we really do have the right to free speech.
My guess would be that we haven't so I am keen to see what happens to this lady.

- Pat, Sussex

The article states:

(1) "Iris Robinson referred to gays as 'disgusting, loathsome and shamefully wicked' during a live phone-in on BBC Radio Ulster."

(2) "She called homosexuality 'an abomination' but said she knew of a cure."

Is it not 'free speech' to state her Christian belief, which she gets from the Bible, and knowledge of the world? How can she be charged for a criminal offence, when she states she has a cure?

We must remember that we are part of the EU now, and soon Turkey will be a member. Will every person in Turkey be arrested?

- Tom Nicholls, Bournemouth UK

 

*******************************************************

Biography - Iris Robinson

 

	Name:	Iris Robinson
	Party:	Democratic Unionist Party
	Constituency:	Strangford
	Contact Address:	Parliament Buildings Stormont BT4 3XX
	Constituency Office Address:	12 North Street Newtownards Co. Down BT23 4DE
	Telephone Number:	028 9182 7701
	E-Mail Address:	robinsoni@parliament.uk

 

Place and Date of Birth:	Belfast 06.09.1949
Married:	Yes
Family:	2 Sons and 1 Daughter
Education:	Cregagh Primary School Knockbreda Intermediate School Cregagh Technical College
Occupation and brief outline of career:	Private Secretary
Brief outline of public/ political career:	Elected to Castlereagh Borough Council - 1989; First female Mayor 1992 + 1995, 2000; Elected to Northern Ireland forum for Political Dialogue 1996 - 1998; Elected to Northern Ireland Assembly 1998 - 2003 & 2007; Elected to House of Commons as Member of Parliament for Strangford June 2001; Chairman of Assembly Health Committee 2007.
Other memberships/ interests/ achievements/awards:	Long standing campaigner for multiple sclerosis; DUP Spokesperson on Health; Has held many Chairmanships of Council Bodies; UK Award Winner - "Arthritis" Politician of the year 2007. M.S Society - 12 Hour stand out at Forestside Annually.

[the invisib1e hand]

Godspeed, m'am.

***

If hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, just imagine how ornery man who wants to be a woman can get. It's gonna be some battle, dealing with homosexuals, their deep-pocket corporate sponsors, and their strong-arm state protectors.

[Stoat]

Northern Ireland's first lady is being investigated by police following allegations she committed a hate crime by launching a withering attack on homosexuality.

[gunnedah]

If they wish to do some real serious probing and I do not mean the Homosexual kind. Let them rant and rave with Muslims,they believe in killing Gays.

[thundrey]

People always wax lyrical about ‘freedom of speech’ in the UK like it’s an American-style constitutional right. It isn’t, and it never has been. The British have never viewed freedom of speech as an absolute right, but as something which must be balanced with the need for public order and the protection of the individual from libel and slander.
That said, I don’t believe she should be criminalised just for expressing an opinion on homosexuality, it should depend on the context, and in this context it is absurd that she is being investigated...

[PatrickF4]

She called homosexuality 'an abomination'

Exactly what the Bible calls it, what the Church calls it, and what most people called up until about 30 years ago.

[thundrey]

And furthermore, there is no ‘first lady’ in the UK, in NI or anywhere else. That is a republican concept, in the UK, the Queen would be the ‘first lady’, and the use of the term to describe any British politician’s wife as such betrays the nascent republicanism that is present at all levels within the BBC...

[Stoat]

Now Andrew Muir, 31-year-old co-ordinator of the pressure group Gays and Lesbians Across (County) Down, has made a formal complaint to police.

[JoJo Gunn]

Northern Ireland's first lady is being investigated by police following allegations she committed a hate crime

Notice how in the Orwellian cesspool of "Great" Britain the phrase "hate crime" is used with such casualness, as if it was as normal as breathing?

[Chode]

filthy disease ridden queers should stop their whining... it's Free!!!

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

Northern Ireland's first lady is being investigated by police following allegations she committed a hate crime by launching a withering attack on homosexuality.

I want to laugh but its too damn insane and scary.

[wagglebee]

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[Stoat]

Godspeed, m'am.

***

If hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, just imagine how ornery man who wants to be a woman can get. It's gonna be some battle, dealing with homosexuals, their deep-pocket corporate sponsors, and their strong-arm state protectors.

Agreed on all counts.  To be fair, the Evening Standard article seems to suggest that the police were not exactly eager to get involved with this, and did so mainly in an effort to get an agitated homosexual activist out of their offices

He said last night: 'They were reluctant to pursue the matter until I told them it was covered by the hate crimes legislation and I would not be leaving until they took a statement from me.'

Let's hope that cooler heads will prevail and that this Lady will not be pilloried for speaking what most healthy people regard as the simple and obvious truth.

Godspeed, m'am.

***

If hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, just imagine how ornery man who wants to be a woman can get. It's gonna be some battle, dealing with homosexuals, their deep-pocket corporate sponsors, and their strong-arm state protectors.

[Stoat]

Thank you (again!) very much for pinging your list  :-)

[the invisib1e hand]

Obviously they hope to accomplish in the court of public opinion what they couldn’t in a just court.

[wagglebee]

You’re quite welcome, thanks for the great threads you’ve posted this weekend!

[Tax-chick]

(Northern) Ireland ping! This lady is welcome in South-Central North Carolina any time!

[B Knotts]

Sinn Féin's Education Minister Catríona Ruane

...demonstrated once again that Sinn Féin is a communist party, not a Catholic organization.

[Stoat]

If they wish to do some real serious probing and I do not mean the Homosexual kind. Let them rant and rave with Muslims,they believe in killing Gays.

An equal focus on Muzzie hate would certainly be welcomed by many.

Church attacks Labour for betraying Christians

The report, commissioned for the Church of England and to be published on Monday, accuses the Government of discriminating against the Christian Churches in favour of other faiths, including Islam.

[PAR35]

So the largest protestant party is for traditional values, and the largest Catholic party is pro homosexual.