The New Seriousness is over, welcome to the New Camp, or the Iris ‘n’ Pete Show rumbles into town… June 6, 2008
Posted by WorldbyStorm in Northern Ireland.trackback
I mentioned the New Seriousness yesterday as regime change occurred in the North. But hey, how was I to know it would last precisely 24 hours before this went ?
For this very day Iris Robinson, wife of First Minister Robinson, decided it was time to let fly on the issue of homosexuality.
The context? An homophobic attack in Belfast that saw a gay man injured.
Her sympathy? Well, curiously limited. For while she condemned the attack last week, today another issue exercised her.
Or as her speedily updated wiki profile noted she said:
“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,”.
And very generously she…
…went on to say “I’m happy to put any homosexual in touch with this gentleman and I have met people who have turned around and become heterosexuals.”
But worse again…
Mrs Robinson claimed that homosexuality was an “abomination” and it made her feel “sick” and “nauseous”.
Now, as was pointed out to her…
…such behaviour by a psychiarist in a professional setting in the UK would see him struck off
ooopss… cue back pedaling…
—at this point she conceded he was undertaking these ‘counselling’ sessions in his free time.
And all this within 24 hours of rather more sober and measured speech. As David McCartney of the Rainbow Project – a gay rights group – noted on Channel 4 News a bit more concern for the victim of the attack wouldn’t have gone amiss rather than suggestions for ‘treatment’.
But what of this?
High camp… brilliant stuff. What on earth were they thinking of?
I thought Robinson’s presumed refusal to appear with McGuinness was utterly childish. He doesn’t have to be all smiley, and can be austere, without going to these lengths to say I am not chuckling.
And Iris is a disgrace.
Slugger had a link to this from the Irish News too. Newton Emerson doing the job of the media and the opposition again.
Iris Robinson has dropped her husband in it with a spectacularly hostile and impolitic performance on the Stephen Nolan show, where she complained about not being able to say the word “coloured”, called for the portrayal of gay people to be banned from television and generally demanded the imposition of Biblical Sharia law. She also said Mr Robinson, as first minister, will not support gay pride events because he is a born-again Christian. In fact, as first minister, Mr Robinson must observe the equality legislation attached to his office, as Ian Paisley jnr has already found out the hard way.
Wow, it just gets worse and worse… A new dawn for the North? Hardly.
Any response yet from SF (or the SDLP or the UUP) about this stupid woman?
And will the government in the south take seriously its responsibility as trustee of equality on the north and tell Peter that this sort of comment from a prominent member of his party is unacceptable?
And does anyone else remember Peter’s comment, when asked if he would support the RoI team in the ‘94 (?) World Cup, he said that a lot of them weren’t Irish and some of them were even ‘N******’?
Actually I hadn’t, but I’d entirely agree. The RoI does have a serious stake in this. One wonders what Brian makes of his latest ‘best best’ working colleague..?
He should find him very similar to many of his colleagues in certain respects. NI has two convicts as its first and deputy first minister. What a wonderful world.
Any response yet from SF (or the SDLP or the UUP) about this stupid woman?
Yeah, Caitríona said something about the need for politicians to play a leadership role… a bit more diplomatic than the situation warrants IMHO but I suppose it’s early for the gloves to come off yet.
I guess by her lights IR is playing a leadership role… urgggghhhh (shudder)!
Parity of esteem for Irish bigots: on the Green side Tony Geraghty, on the Orange Iris Robinson.
And there was I thinking that picture was for a new
Hollywood film starring Christopher Walken and
Helen Hunt….
Is she a Free P?
Elim Pentecostal, I think.
Thanks. Could be simply playing to the gallery and trying to head off what I would see as almost inevitable split between the Robinson business approach and the more rural Free Ps.
The picture reminds me of those cringeworthy Castlereagh council meetings where Alderman Robinson and Alderman Robinson would flirt with each other across the chamber like a pair of overgrown schoolkids… that’s when they weren’t naming public buildings after Pete or conspiring to fill the council with their offspring.
I think it was Susan McKay who said he was much happier in Castlereagh than he’d ever been in Westminster… lord help us if that’s the model he plans to follow at Stormont.
No disrespect intended, Wednesday, but while Caitríona Ruane might have condemned Robinson’s comments, does anyone seriously think it will make a blind bit of difference? David McCartney’s most astute point on the Channel 4 news wasn’t just the criticism of Robinson, but his point that if the same sentiments were expressed by the Chair of a Health Committee anywhere else in the UK (yes, I know) the person holding them would be forced to step aside in the name of both human decency and a basic respect for current medical practice. In this case, and in so many others, the most vile, bigoted drivel can be spewed forth and is greeted by nothing stronger than a few pro forma “tut tuts” before everyone moves on.
It’s not that this is particularly the fault of Sinn Féin, or any other single Assembly party. It is, however, rather damning of the power-sharing institutions themselves, of which the lack of any serious opposition to the governing party, or parties, is the inevitable consequence. While they might have been necessary to move beyond the politics of violent conflict, what they succeed in achieving is the elimination of virtualy all conflict or political division, which is vital for a functioning and healthy civic sphere.
Ironically, the very political settlement intended to eliminate extremism now arguably sustains the kind of religious fanaticism at the heart of government which would be confined to the lunatic fringes everywhere else.
[...] on this from Liam and WorldbyStorm and Stroppy. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Iris Robinson – did I read it [...]
FFS Smiffy, I was only answering sonofstan’s question.
Oopsie!
Sorry Wednesday, that comment wasn’t supposed to be directed at you. The only reason I stuck the ‘No disrespect’ thing in at the start was so it wouldn’t look like I was having a pop; I would have said the same thing even if sonofstan hadn’t asked the question in the first place.
My bad.
“And here’s to you Mrs Robinson, Jesus loves you more than you will know”….
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
But joking aside the homophobic bilge she is peddling about being gay being an “illness” isn’t new and there are still shrinks out there who still view anything that isn’t heterosexual as a “disorder” (homosexuality wasn’t removed from the DSM – Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders until 1973 and even now it isn’t totally removed as there is a category of “sexual disorder not otherwise specified”…..
Oh and what an awful picture as well.. is this to show that they are soooooooo heterosexual that is hurts? The lady doth protest too much.
Just wondering whatever happened to wee Sammy Wilson ?? or is his current whereabouts the key to one or other of the rapturous smiles in the pic ??
I’m sure Sammy will be streaking into view any day now…
I have met people who have turned around and become heterosexuals
Come on, laugh, you bastards…
Oh there’ll be laughing all right ejh…
[...] has been widely reported on other blogs, here and here, for instance. But in case you missed it, DUP MP Iris Robinson, made these homophobic [...]
It’s not just in Northern Ireland. Lilian Ladele’s tried to convince an employment tribunal that she can be an effective civil registrar, despite refusing to conduct civil partnerships on grounds which Iris would sympathise with. It’s an alarming trend, even though these arch theists seem to be losing quite quickly after their initial salvos…
They aren’t half gobby though, are they? Remember the Jerry Springer nonsense?
The relief of high office… or so we might judge from the photo…
Hi – I arrived at your site through one that was also linked to mine and was automatically referring to me.
While the blogger at “forgodandulster” is a “possibly related” link, I think this might be as far as the relationship goes…
There are a lot of scary people sharing Iris’ view…..
Too true.
Iris will soon be history. This time she will learn that she’s bitten off more than she can chew.
While no one should deny her freedom of speech, she must learn that she was not elected to preach bigotry.
She was elected to serve the people of the north of Ireland equally , without prejudice
or favor.
Just a little aside……. i think it was remiss of the politicians that they didn’t ensure separation of church and state during the protracted negotiations to set up a government here.
That’s a very good point in your final paragraph, Patrick. But then how would they have dealt with the Doc?
i think it was remiss of the politicians that they didn’t ensure separation of church and state during the protracted negotiations to set up a government here.
Not sure what you mean – I’m sure there’s a pretty complete separation of church and state in the form and practice of the institutions of govt. in NI – probably more than anywhere else of these Islands: no established church, no oath of allegiance, I doubt if there are prayers before sessions – hard to see the parties agreeing on the form of such things.
I think he means that a clearer distinction between individual religious beliefs and how these impinge on policy implementation etc was necessary. Certainly Iris R. could have done with some guidance on this, although it’s never wise to underestimate how useful such seemingly off the cuff comments can be to shoring up a political base.
Let’s not forget that La (or “La-La”, with appropriate twirling finger to side of head) Robinson went on to justify her comments in later media interviews by saying “Just as a murderer can be redeemed by the blood of Christ, so can a homosexual. …Anyone taking issue with that is taking issue with the word of God.” Iris, Iris, Iris: as my bank manager once said to me, It’s time to stop digging, and start climbing.
Hope everyone has signed the petition on the PM’s website:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Robinson-Gay
which has gathered over 3,000 signatures in five days.
Thanks for the link John…