Dear RTE ...

Subject: Promotion of Discriminatory Views



To whom it may concern

Need I remind you of your duty as a Public Service Broadcaster? It seems to me the definition had been lost somewhere, more than likely buried under cowardly solicitors letters and demands for un-deserving apologies.

I refer to your reaction, not the broadcasting, of the interview with Rory O'Neill on the Saturday Night Show. I'm sure you know the one. The removal of this link and the "apology" to "injured parties" is frankly disgraceful.

Your duty, may I remind you, not to mention your salaries costs, is in the hands of the PUBLIC. A public who are crying out for a true reflection of their views, which, to date are not being expressed. 5 minutes outside of your own bubble would show you that as clear as day.

RTE are answerable to the Irish public. NOT private institutions who flout solicitors letters and whose sole purpose is to offend and upset. It is not for you to bow down to their petty demands. It is your duty to address the issues that we all face add a nation. And this is one.

Censoring this issue will not make it go away. Avoiding the topic in news coverage will not distract people into forgetting.

The views and actions of the Iona Institute offend and perpetuate hate towards women and LGBT citizens on an almost daily basis.

I would hate to live in a world where I feel my public service broadcaster favoured outdated sexist views that belittled and demonised (to use the word of the moment) me as a woman. But your actions so far have done just that. Your duty is to provide equal service and coverage to all, yet you are treating a considerable portion of our society as second class citizens. Women and LGBT included.

Listen to your audience rather than a solicitor's letter and you will see that what I've said is true. As an entity, RTE had been out of touch for too long.

Ask yourselves, what is real reporting? What is real journalism? I can assure you it's not regurgitating press releases and exaggerating trivial tiffs within government houses.

It is certainly not submitting yourself to become a tool of discriminatory propaganda.

As long as you apologise to the Iona Institute you are, in my eyes, supporting their hate-filled, archaic views and I will no longer count myself as one of the public you broadcast to.

Sincerely,
Lisa
Irish, Female, Bisexual and offended.