'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)

[wagglebee]

What are you talking about?

[BykrBayb]

Cut that out, Stoat. You're going to spoil him.

Here you go, Wagglebee. Have a piece of soy cheese cake.

Recipe

[wagglebee]

That’s DISGUSTING!

Soy has ONE USE ONLY and that is for soy sauce to put on Japanese food!

Stoat’s cheesecake looks appetizing, yours looks like what they serve in school cafeterias.

[BykrBayb]

Just trying to keep you from getting too spoiled.

Þ

[wagglebee]

The PURPOSE of cheesecake is to spoil yourself!

[BykrBayb]

And that’s why I don’t give it to you EVERY time you ask.

Þ

[BykrBayb]

You know, I actually did a google search for cheesecake, and looked for the nastiest picture I could find. When I saw that one, I honestly expected it to be peanut butter cheesecake. The fact that it turned out to be soy was just a bonus.

Þ

[BykrBayb]

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Þ

[BykrBayb]

I forgot to include the recipe for the good cheesecake. I like this recipe. It includes a couple bottles of wine (none of which goes into the cake), and a nap. My kind of recipe!

the cheesecake that makes everything better