SINN Féin’s Seanad spokesperson for LGBTQI rights, Senator Fintan Warfield, has condemned the homophobic slurs sent in the form of a letter to Francis Timmons, an Independent South Dublin county councillor.
Senator Warfield, who previously recounted to Southside People his own experiences of verbal homophobic abuse in London, was speaking after Cllr Timmons called for action on hate crime when he received a homophobic letter.
“As a former Mayor of South Dublin county council, I am disgusted to see one of its elected representatives being subjected to such a craven act,
? Senator Warfield said.
“Ireland has only recently entered an era in which elected representatives can freely identify as LGBTQI publicly and the actions of one coward should never serve to reverse that.
“Sinn Féin sends it solidarity to Cllr Timmons and further calls for robust hate crime legislation to be enacted without delay.
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Independent Clondalkin councillor, Francis Timmons, revealed recently how he opened the homophobic letter which had been sent to his home.
Inside was a picture of Pope Benedict, a letter about World Family Day and a letter purportedly from Pope Francis.
Cllr Timmons said that the letter, coming so soon after last month’s Pride festival, was
“horrible
?.
“Myself and my partner are 18 years together and we have been warmly accepted as part of the community in Clondalkin,
? he stated.
“As an elected politician, I have grown used to having to accept certain backlashes but my partner is not in public life and was very distressed about this attack.
“I respect the rights of any person to practice the religion of their choosing, but sending Catholic-based literature like this in a vile addressed envelope is not with keeping with any ethos of acceptance and tolerance.
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Cllr Timmons subsequently called for more action on hate crimes.