Northern Ireland’s First Lady and psychiatrist in storm over homophobic remarks

Iris Robinson, MP and wife of the First Minister, who said on BBC Radio Ulster on June 6 that homosexuality is ‘disgusting, loathsome, shamefully wicked and vile’ is now facing police investigation after two complaints were lodged against her.

She claimed that her view was based on the Bible and that she would defend her right to freedom of expression, while in the same breath she condemned violence against the gay community. “My Christian beliefs teach me that you love the sinner but hate the sin” she said.

Robinson, who is chair of the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Health Committee, also 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”.
At the end of last week, Andrew Muir, the vice chair of Gay and Lesbians Across Down went to a police station to report her for stirring up hatred and arousing fear. Muir reported that the police “were reluctant to pursue the matter until I told them it was covered in hate crimes legislation and I would not be leaving until they took a statement from me”. Then John O’Doherty, a member of South Belfast District Policing Partnership also made a formal complaint. He stated that: "People like Mrs Robinson need to learn that their comments have consequences".

Mrs Robinson has refused an invitation from gay rights group Rainbow Project to meet with gays and lesbians to discuss their concerns and experiences. Her husband has defended her actions.

The psychiatrist in question, Dr Miller - a former member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Board and an honorary clinical lecturer at Queen's University Belfast – claimed that he had seen hundreds of homosexual people become heterosexual. But the Royal College of Psychiatrists rejected Dr Miller's claim and said that it was not possible to change a person's sexual orientation.

Miller claimed that: "No one is born gay because gay identity is a complex interaction between genetics and environment … change in sexual orientation is possible."

But Dr Phillip McGarry from the Royal College of Psychiatrists said: "People are born with sexual preference - that is a fact of life. Treatments that purport to change someone's sexuality can be harmful and there is no evidence that they can be successful."

13 June 2008