Homophobia's a family affair for Northern Ireland's power couple, Iris and Peter Robinson!

MP Iris Robinson drew our ire earlier this year when she described gay folk as sick sinners who should be cured of our queer ways.

Despite very public outrage, Robinson stuck by her remarks - and so is her husband, First Minister Peter Robinson. His wife doesn't deserve any blame, he says, because God agrees:

It wasn’t Iris Robinson who determined that homosexuality was an abomination, it was the Almighty.

This is the Scriptures and it is a strange world indeed where somebody on the one hand talks about equality, but won’t allow Christians to have the equality, the right to speak, the right to express their views.

You know what we call that? Bollocks.

Northern Ireland politico Iris Robinson gained notoriety this year for repeatedly coming out against the gays, a "sick" group she thinks would benefit from reparative therapy.

Well, in a twist of ironic fate, Robinson's husband, N.I.'s First Minister, Peter Robinson and his office will be giving gay groups about £80,000 in grants this year:

It has further been revealed that money from the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) helped fund this year's Gay Pride parade in Belfast.

The ongoing OFMDFM allocations are part of a £230,000 package put in place under direct rule by then Secretary of State Peter Hain.

This scheme has continued under devolution, alongside rows over anti-gay comments by prominent DUP politicians — including MLA Iris Robinson, the First Minister's wife.
…
The £230,000 package is administered by the Coalition on Sexual Orientation (CoSO), an umbrella organisation for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender groups across the province.

Politics, strange bedfellows and all that.

Northern Ireland MP Iris Robinson's anti-gay ways have caused some collateral damage. Belfast-based shrink and Robinson adviser Dr. Paul Miller has temporarily stepped down from his position at a local hospital in the wake of the politico's campaign against "mentally ill" homos. He also pulled himself off her staff:

[Robinson] caused a storm when she said homosexuality was an abomination and she had a psychiatrist working in her office who had "cured" gay people.

Other psychiatrists distanced themselves from these views, saying homosexuality was not an illness and did not require medical treatment.

Neither Dr Miller nor the DUP are commenting on reports that he has taken a career break from a north Belfast hospital and has stepped down as Mrs Robinson's adviser.

Perhaps now Robinson and company have learned their lesson: bigotry's no turn on.

A Northern Ireland church could be in a heap of trouble.

The Advertising Authority’s currently investigating whether a Presbyterian parish violated advertising codes by releasing an advert condemning gay pride.

In addition to calling same-sex love an abomination and gays as “perverts,” the Sandown Free Presbyterian Church also suggested that pride events may bring on more anti-gay violence:

In the advertisement, the church — led by the Rev David McIlveen — justifies its hostility towards the gay community by ‘quoting’ from the Bible and lambasts the need for a parade which celebrates a “profitable lifestyle”.

The church condemns recent homophobic attacks, but said some attacks may have been “provoked” by a section of the gay community’s “desire to be known for a perverted form of sexuality” and called on followers to continue to protest against them despite these attacks.

“It is a cause for regret that a section of the community desire to be known for a perverted form of sexuality, which in certain incidences has provoked the unacceptable and totally unjustifiable response of violence. Such a response, however, must not intimidate the church into silence,” the advertisement says.

So, while they don't condone violence, they're not going to work to end it… Love that moral relativity!

Northern Ireland's Iris Robinson's repeated anti-gay outbursts have her political colleagues wondering about her mental health:

Robinson's outbursts against homosexuals are developing into "an unhealthy obsession" for which she should seek psychiatric help, it has been claimed.
Sinn Fein's Martina Anderson said she was convinced the DUP MP was stressed and this was manifesting itself in a series of public remarks targeting homosexuality.
…
Ms Anderson said: "Iris seems to be constantly obsessed with the gay and lesbian community."

"I think she (Mrs Robinson] should seek a quiet moment to sit down and talk to somebody herself."

The Sinn Fein woman continued by suggesting the DUP MP "takes time out".

Robinson's remarks have included comparing sodomy to child abuse, calling gays sinners and recommending reparative therapy to "treat" the gay folk. Yep, she sounds certifiable to us!

Northern Ireland's Education Minister Caitríona Ruane may be our new favorite person. As her peer MP Iris Robinson pushes anti-gay reparative therapy, Ruane took a stand for supporting gay counseling - in schools! Rather than yakking about social or religious beliefs, as Robinson has, Ruane went straight for the civic jugular:

Government has a responsibility to ensure policy development considers the needs of all in our community, including policies for education.

As Education Minister I take my duty to respect and treat all sections of the community equally very seriously.

It is interesting to note that research shows 86% of young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are aware of their sexuality at school. We must offer these young people support and understanding not ignorance and intolerance.

Minister Ruane cited gay group Cara-Friend as having an impact on her platform, but we think her haircut deserves at least a bit of credit. Oh, did we mention she's a former tennis player? Too bad she's straight, huh?

But, seriously, the difference between Robinson and Ruane couldn't be more acute. The former called gay people "sinners," while the other actually - gasp! - considers the same-sex lovers equal. Forget the gay guinea "gerbils" pigs, this could be children's book. Let's call it something simple, like Good v. Evil.

Iris Robinson needs to learn to shut her mouth. The N. Ireland politician raised eyebrows last month when she came out against the gays. Robinson has since become the butt of many-a-joke - as well as a campaign to unseat her - and, quite frankly, she's pissed. No, not because people are mad at her, but because they're twisting her words, she claims:

Stormont Health committee chair Iris Robinson last night accused her political rivals of twisting her comments on homosexuality and denied she believed it was a mental disorder.
…
Mrs Robinson said: "People have attempted to suggest that I indicated that homosexuality was a mental health issue. Nothing could be further from the truth. What I did say was homosexuality, like all sin, is an abomination.

Because that's much better. Meanwhile, Robinson still thinks psychiatric counseling can help set us straight:

Will the minister agree with me that there are some people who are in their teenage years sexually confused and that they could do with help in terms of practitioners assessing them with talking therapies to help them realize exactly what they are, whether they are heterosexual or homosexual?"

Sheesh, can't these kids find out the old fashioned way: experiementation. It's worked for generations - and is way more fun.

Iris Robinson, the Northern Ireland politician who thinks gay folk should seek reparative therapy, recently used a BBC interview to equate gay sins with those of murderers. But Robinson makes sure to say she doesn't have anything against us, because she's filled with God's love.

It must be satisfying to be so smug.

[via Towleroad]

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