A YES EQUALITY campaigner was repeatedly asked on radio today, “what two men do when they’re engaged in a sexual act?”
Declan Meehan of Yes Equality Donegal was debating the same-sex marriage referendum with Isaac Burke of Mandate for Marriage on Ocean FM when Burke kept asking him about sexual acts between gay people.
Burke said the referendum debate has been full of “buzzwords” such as “love, commitment and equality” but argued that there is a sexual aspect that is being ignored:
The common denominator for the LGBT community is their sexual activity and we have to get back to the facts of that being true. Declan is talking there about love and commitment and equality and all these lovely buzz words. There’s no talk about the sexual aspect of this and, I’m sorry to be insulting, but it is there and when you enter into a marriage contract the sexual aspect is an intrinsic aspect of that.
“The fact remains that the sexual conduct between two men and two women ought not to be given the same legal status as that between a man and a woman,” he added.
OceanFM / SoundCloud
(Click here for an external link to the debate)
Meehan questioned Burke’s focus on sexual acts, arguing that his focus on this and not the constitutional question of marriage was an attempt to debase the argument:
When we enter into conversations like that it’s like we’re trying to debase something that is of societal importance, which is equality and commitment through the law in the form of marriage, into something which is much more basic and trying to almost dehumanise sections of the society.
The show’s presenter Niall Delaney also questioned Burke on his focus with Burke then responding: “We’re all given heterosexual bodies Niall.”
“When someone uses their body in a way that it’s not designed for, their whole mind suffers,” he added.
Burke then asked Meehan directly about sexual activity between two men.
“All of the secondary school students across the country are fully aware of what one man and one woman do when they enter into a sexual act,” he said.
But what we’re not really so clear on is what two men do. Maybe Declan you could enlighten us on that, on what two men do when they enter into a sexual act?
Meehan attempted to return the debate to the issue of marriage.
“I think it’s very interesting that someone from the No campaign is not taking on board the legal and constitution ramifications of a Yes vote,” he said.
Burke, however, continued to ask Meehan about sex: “But what about the sexual act Declan? You’re refusing to talk about the sexual act.”
Meehan said Burke needed to “take a long hard look at himself”:
I’d almost find it hilarious if it wasn’t so offensive. Instead, he’s resorting to asking me about what sexual conduct between two men involves. I think Isaac you need to take a long hard look at yourself and come back to the table with some constructive arguments.
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