Seanad report: Call for debate on freedom of speech after threats to Iona members

Fianna Fáil Senator Jim Walsh has called for a debate on freedom of speech following threats to members of the Iona Institute. Mr Walsh said Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte should attend.

“Can we deal with these dangerous, vicious elements in the gay ideological movement?”

Ivana Bacik (Lab) intervened to say there was no such thing as a gay ideological movement. "Senator Walsh is making himself ridiculous," she said.

Mr Walsh said he was calling on the more reasonable voices within the gay groups, particularly Glen (Gay and Lesbian Equality Network) “which I have always found to be responsible, to condemn this type of activity. It is totally unacceptable and is clearly intended to intimidate or prevent people from engaging in open debate on a matter of social re-engineering’’.

Mr Walsh said Mr Rabbitte should be asked to clarify his remarks that debate could be robust, personal and even hostile if one entered the public arena.

Contents of emails
Unfortunately, Mr Walsh added, the remarks were made last Friday as David Quinn of the Iona Institute had revealed the contents of emails he had received. In one, he was asked to kill himself if he read the email, which accused him of being "bigoted, homophobic and sexist''.

The email had expressed the hope he would “die a horrible death’’.

Mr Walsh said a gay man, who opposed gay marriage and believed marriage should be between a man and a woman, had received death threats.

Rónán Mullen (Ind) said he had always respected the way Glen conducted itself, finding it to be respectful and focused on the issues and arguments.

He would welcome it if Glen made a statement disassociating itself from what was said on RTÉ’s Saturday Night Show.