The Minister for Health Leo Varadkar, recently made public his sexual preference by telling Radio One’s Miriam O’Callaghan that he is a homosexual. The announcement made international headlines as he is the first Irish minister to do so in the history of the Republic. The world of social media welcomed the announcement and many users made their support of Varadkar’s announcement known.
However, even though it is 2015, there still remains a faction of society which do not support the right of an individual to pursue their sexual preference. The perpetual cold shower known as The Iona Institute, have commented on the minister’s decision by releasing a statement condemning not only Varadkar, but his performance as Health Minister.
The Iona Institute were at the centre of controversy last year when they were paid a settlement by RTÉ for the comments by Rory O’Neill, who called the Iona Institute “homophobic” while on the Saturday Show. What we can learn from this settlement is that despite all of the Iona Institutes beliefs and teachings being homophobic, you certainly cannot call them homophobic in a public forum.
In line with the manifesto of the organisation, an Iona Institute spokesperson commented on Varadkar’s announcement by saying, “We do not believe in judging people. That is a role reserved for God. However, the lord has left us specific instructions to live our lives by and we feel that Mr. Varadkar is not adhering to these instructions.”
“While we see this lifestyle as a disease, it will be unlikely that Varadkar will get the help he needs in the Republic. The Irish health service is not equipped to cure Varadkar’s homosexuality. Who knows what he would get up to while waiting out in the hallway on a trolley?”
The comments by the Iona Institute has been condemned by nearly all media outlets. At the time of reporting, the Health Minister has not responded to the Iona Institute.