Do you think the Iona Institute are homophobic?

mango salsa wrote: »

Was all the flooding Gods anger at Panti?

I think it was her anger at the payout. Scotland has rainbows on the day it legalises marriage for gay and lesbian couples. We've had nothing but bad weather since Waters and Iona went legal.

Sorry for arriving at the debate so late, But can someone tell Me or link a video to show Me exactly what was said and how it is worth RTE paying out €80,000 ?

Bannasidhe wrote: »

RTÉ trying to justify the payout on RTÉ Radio I news now.

I do think they wished the whole thing was swept under the carpet.

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RobertKK wrote: »

So all gay people have to be put in a box that is named liberal?

My point is, if the state was directly involved, they wouldn't be acting so fast to bring people in to hearings.
The irony is they would have their senior counsel telling them to fight the case and then eventually lose...

Huh?

Why would a gay liberal want acceptance, or have esteem for, social conservatives?

I just don't get this idea of trying to down play homophobic attacks because some may have been general assaults. What does it prove anyway?

It's a bit like when we get threads on violence against women, some genius says "sure loads of men get assaulted every night", well obviously, so what's your actual point?

As pointed out many times, I've yet to hear of somebody getting attacked for being hetrosexual so I just don't get what's to gain from this reasoning. It seems to me to be some type of ploy to down play homophobia in society which then reflects on Iona and groups like that, there isn't as much homophobia about as the the pro SSM side are saying so how could we be homophobic?

As other posters pointed out, well Iona has a few high profile members with "controversial" views on homosexuality among other socially conservative subjects. A Michele Buchanan admirer says it all.

Michelle Buchanan wrote:

"I don't know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians. We've had an earthquake; we've had a hurricane. He said, 'Are you going to start listening to me here?' Listen to the American people because the American people are roaring right now. They know government is on a morbid obesity diet and we've got to rein in the spending." –Rep. Michele Bachmann, suggesting at a presidential campaign event in Florida that the 2011 East Coast earthquake and hurricane was a message from God (Aug. 2011)

"I will tell you that I had a mother last night come up to me here in Tampa, Florida, after the debate. She told me that her little daughter took that vaccine, that injection, and she suffered from mental retardation thereafter." –Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), on the HPV vaccine, Fox News interview, Sept. 12, 2011

"Why should I go and do something like that? But the Lord says, 'Be submissive wives; you are to be submissive to your husbands." -Rep. Michele Bachmann, recalling in a 2006 speech at a Megachurch in Minneapolis that pursuing tax law wasn't her choice, but she did so at the urging of her husband because she was certain God was speaking through him

"I find it interesting that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out under another, then under another Democrat president, Jimmy Carter. I'm not blaming this on President Obama, I just think it's an interesting coincidence." -Rep. Michele Bachmann, on the 1976 Swine Flu outbreak that happened when Gerald Ford, a Republican, was president, April 28, 2009

"Carbon dioxide is portrayed as harmful. But there isn't even one study that can be produced that shows that carbon dioxide is a harmful gas." -Rep. Michelle Bachmann, April, 2009

"Before we get started, let's all say 'Happy Birthday' to Elvis Presley today." -Rep. Michele Bachmann, while campaigning for president in South Carolina on what was actually the anniversary of Elvis's death, Aug. 16, 2011 (Elvis was born on January 8)

Obviously never heard that correlation does not imply causation our Michelle. Iona seems to be the Irish equivalent of the Tea Party.

Her quotes on homosexuality might be Iona's cup of tea though:

"We all have the same civil rights," Bachmann said, according to the Des Moines Register, providing an opportunity for Schmidt to press her.

"Then, why can't same-sex couples get married?" Schmidt asked.

"They can get married," Bachmann responded. "But they abide by the same law as everyone else. They can marry a man if they're a woman. Or they can marry a woman if they're a man."

Bachmann has referred to homosexuality as a condition or disorder and claimed that it encourages child abuse and "enslavement." She was also a vocal opponent of repealing "don't ask, don't tell," and said earlier this year that she would reinstate the military policy if elected.

Bachmann's husband, Marcus, created a stir earlier this year when an undercover sting video captured his Christian counseling clinic pushing the controversial practice of "praying the gay away." Conversion therapy of all types has been widely debunked by scientific studies.

Team Bachmann also drew fire last month when a clip surfaced showing her Iowa campaign co-chair, Tamara Scott, arguing that the legalization of gay marriage would inevitably lead to people marrying turtles and inanimate objects such as the Eiffel Tower.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/01/michele-bachmann-gay-marriage_n_1123784.html

It's actually hilarious how nutty she is but we are giving large media exposure to nut jobs like this, it's like making Jim Corr a no side spokesman in a Europe debate!

RobertKK wrote: »

But it does seem from the gay lobby, that all gay people have to be liberal, have to be pro-SSM or they are somehow ostracised given how Paddy Manning is treated for opposing it.

It's not that we have to be liberal.

It's just that gay people are generally pre-disposed not to believe all the baseless carp flying around about themselves being unequal, unworthy, dangerous to children or destroyers of society.

floggg wrote: »

Finally, we are agreed that there was no defamation.

Why doesn't RTE have a responsibility to publish it's legal advice ? Who does it answer to ? Who pays it's bills and therefore is paying this 80k ?

Still don't get why the person that supposedly libelled that institute didn't pay the money over instead of RTE/taxpayer - its a joke

vicwatson wrote: »

Still don't get why the person that supposedly libelled that institute didn't pay the money over instead of RTE/taxpayer - its a joke

Because RTE, by their own admission, have form in paying out to make potential problems go away - and if memory serves they successfully defended themselves against an accusation of defamation against a politician some years ago and never got the money - somebody here will remember the details better than I can...but if I recall correctly RTE were awarded a substantial amount

They would have had to actually take Panti to court....

floggg wrote: »

The crowd were laughing at him because he's funny. It's what he does for a living

Regardless of how you might look as a clown, Panti did not look silly. He was poised, eloquent and insightful.

It's not his fault if some people get too distracted by his tits and ass (and what an ass it is) to actually take on board the point made.

It's now spread around the world and been praised, so clearly his message isn't lost.

However, unfortunately some people can't seem to get past things like appearance, skin colour, gender etc to see the person underneath - which kind of illustrates the exact problem Panti was discussing.

Many many years ago when I began lecturing in an Irish university I had a choice. I could check myself in case the gay showed or I could focus on doing my job without the distraction of hiding behind straight drag.

There was no pressure from my colleagues or employer. Not one comment, not one look. It was never an issue.

The pressure was internal having seeped into my subconscious as I grew up in Ireland.

I decided that I am what I am and I have always been proud of who and what I am.

If people had a problem with that - I would still be the one standing at the podium and students who focused on the fact that I look like what I am - a woman who is not interested in conforming to notions of what females 'should' look like - that would be their loss as it would mean they were not focusing on the contents of the lecture and that way lies failure...

But like Rory said - I hated that I thought about checking myself.

Bannasidhe wrote: »

Because RTE, by their own admission, have form in paying out to make potential problems go away - and if memory serves they successfully defended themselves against an accusation of defamation against a politician some years ago and never got the money - somebody here will remember the details better than I can...but if I recall correctly RTE were awarded a substantial amount

They would have had to actually take Panti to court....

Ah yeah, the bould Pee Flynns daughter Beverly, last I heard nothing had been paid either!