Northern Ireland's first lady is being investigated by police following allegations she committed a hate crime by launching a withering attack on homosexuality - referring to gays as 'disgusting, loathsome, shamefully wicked and vile' in a radio interview. Hate crime?: Northern Ireland's 'First Lady' Iris Robinson In an outburst on a live phone-in on BBC Radio Ulster on Friday, Iris Robinson, the 57-year-old wife of First Minister Peter Robinson also called homosexuality "an abomination" but said she knew of a cure. "I have a lovely psychiatrist who works with me and his Christian background is that he tries to help homosexuals - trying to turn them away from what they are engaged in," she said, reports the Irish Mail newspaper. Now Andrew Muir, 31-year-old co-ordinator of the pressure group Gays and Lesbians Across (County) Down, has made a formal complaint to police. He said last night: "They were reluctant to pursue the matter until I told them it was covered by the hate crimes legislation and I would not be leaving until they took a statement from me." Ireland's left-wing Sinn Fein Party is calling on Robinson to quit her role as chair of the Assembly Health Committee following her remarks, which they describe as "outrageous" and call into question her suitability to chair the Committee.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 11th June 2008 - 12:14pm