Ireland's gay marriage debate: where homophobes are treated as victims

Ireland's gay marriage debate: where homophobes are treated as victims
The state broadcaster has paid damages to traditionalists after a gay activist on TV accused them of homophobia
Emer O'Toole
theguardian.com, Monday 10 February 2014

Some recent statements on gay marriage from Ireland:

"This is really a kind of a satire on marriage that is being conducted by the gay lobby. It is not that they want to get married; it is that they want to destroy the institution of marriage because they are envious of it … "

"You warp language, you manipulate words, you say 'Oh, there's an inequality.' 'There's no inequality,' I say to them. 'You know there's no inequality.' 'Yeah there is: we can't get married,' 'Oh yeah, you can get married. Of course, you're a man. You can get married, but you must marry a woman. That's what marriage is.'"

Is the person quoted above homophobic? Is the Iona Institute, the Irish organisation that made this video, homophobic?...

...For RTÉ, Ireland's national broadcaster, the answer, it would seem, is no. It has paid Waters €40,000 (£33,275) in damages, while O'Brien and members of Iona received €45,000 between them. RTÉ also broadcast an apology for Panti's comments.... MORE