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Iris Robinson defends her attack on homosexuality by saying gays are bad not mad
Iris Robinson
Irish MP finds gays an abomination, not mentally impaired
"The Health Minister retored that it was important that anyone seeking help on matters of sexuality be treated in a manner that was free of discrimination"
Gays are bad not mad, says Northern Ireland Health Committee Chair Iris Robinson, and anyone who reckons she says otherwise is simply twisting her words, words which led to calls for her to step down when they were uttered on a radio talk show last month. What the wife of Northern Ireland's First Minister actually said was that some men who were confused about their sexuality went on to become worthy heterosexuals after counselling.
She was challenged in the Northern Ireland Assembly by Health Minister Michael McGimpsey, who reiterated that homosexuality was not a mental disorder and therefore counselling was not appropriate. "People have attempted to suggest that I indicated that homosexuality was a mental health issue," said Robinson. "Nothing could be further from the truth. What I did say was homosexuality like all sin, is an abomination." Much better!
"Will the minister agree with me that there are some people who are in their teenage years sexually confused," she asked McGimpsey. "And that they could do with help in terms of practitioners assessing them with talking therapies to help them realise exactly what they are, whether they are heterosexual or homosexual?"
McGimpsey retored that it was important that anyone seeking help on matters of sexuality be treated in a manner that was free of discrimination. "Lesbian, gay and transgender groups experience high levels of discrimination and isolation," he said. "This leads to a higher than average incidence of suicidal behaviour and self-harm and that is an issue which must be addressed."
