‘I have no need to apologize to the LGBTQ + community’ for the ‘homophobic’ tweet

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Brian Stanley says he doesn’t have to apologize to the LGBTQ + community after being accused of homophobia in a 2017 tweet.

The chairman of the Sinn Féin TD and Public Accounts Committee tweeted in June 2017: “Yippee 4 d tory. I’m a Leo. You can do whatever you want in bed, but you don’t look like a raise the next morning.”

Stanley says his campaign record on LGBTQ + rights and the meaning of the post had been “twisted.”

Maria Walsh Fine Gael, MEP tweeted in response: “If MP Stanley really believes that someone’s sexuality is linked to their skills in their workplace …

“What does this say to LGBTQI citizens who face hate speech and discrimination on a daily basis across Europe?”

Mr. Stanley told the Public Accounts Committee today that he did not need to apologize to anyone after many years of campaigning on rights issues.

“I was campaigning for the rights of gay communities before it became fashionable, I campaigned in every campaign for gay rights. I grew up in an Ireland where homosexuals were criminalized, I witnessed homosexuals being abused, teenage friends of mine who are gay were abused, “he said.

“An Ireland where women were treated horribly and my record stands on its own.

“I campaigned in every referendum, including the two divorce referendums, I campaigned for contraception, I campaigned for gay rights, I actively campaigned for gay marriage.”

Stanley pointed to a parliamentary question he raised last week on the rights of gay adoptive parents to access social protection, which he said he had asked on behalf of his constituents and a couple in Laois-Offaly in particular.

“I don’t want to have to apologize to people in the gay community and certainly to my own party, and members of this house like Jerry Buttimer, who is on the government banks, would know my background. Leo Varadkar would know my background. and how I voted every time, Fintan Warfield would know (Sinn Féin LGBT spokesperson).

I don’t have to apologize to anyone, what I meant in that tweet was that we were trying to push for legislation and measures regarding workers’ rights and minimum and living wages.

“The point I was making was; it’s great that we have achieved gay rights and women’s rights, and ‘Yipee’ up to that point, the missing piece for me was trying to promote workers’ rights and improve their rights. terms.

“Leo Varadkar was the leader of the government at that time and there was a rejection of the conditions for the workers and the income of the workers, etc.

“Tweets are shorthand, and we’re not that good at it, and it’s dangerous to use shorthand, it can be misunderstood.

“We have come so far in terms of gay rights, my track record over the last 30 plus years before some people in other parties come up to the issue of gay rights and women’s rights.

“I celebrate that point, but as a Republican, the missing piece is workers ‘rights and improving workers’ lives. It’s that simple.

“If we’re going to get to the point where we don’t allow a certain level of freedom of expression and for every word that everyone says so that we’re twisted and turned towards someone else’s agenda, we won’t get as far as a society, like I said, my history with the LGBTQ + community stands out on its own.

I don’t have to apologize to anyone. I have worked for it when it was not fashionable.

“I have never yelled or claimed credit for that, but you have to stand up to set the record straight because, unfortunately, some people have set out to try to change that.”

Catherine Murphy, a member of the Public Accounts Committee, a co-leader of the Social Democrats, said that although Stanley had explained his role in the campaign in favor of the LGBTQ + community in general: “I do not think it is acceptable to link someone’s sexual orientation with public policy and I don’t think the reference to (then) Taoiseach is acceptable. “



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