South and East Belfast Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Iris needs to stop and think about the hurt her comments are causing - Parker

Published: 22 July, 2008

Sinn Féin's Balmoral representative and head of the party's Equality and Human Rights Department Vincent Parker has questioned the intentions of DUP MLA Iris Robinson in her latest attack against the gay community.

He said

"Iris Robinson's comments come on the back of several ill advised and poorly judge statements from a woman who is not only the wife of the First Minister but the chairperson of the Assembly Health Committee.

Surely she realises the effects that these comments have on the gay community, a vulnerable community which already suffers an intolerable degree of discrimination and attack. Her words undermine the sterling work of groups such as the rainbow project who were recently hosted in the Long Gallery Stormont.

I accept that she has since retracted her words, but what we need to see now is a change in her attitude and an acceptance of the fact that these words and statements are deeply, deeply offensive and hurtful to members of the gay community and their families."

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