Radio caller brands same-sex relationships ‘unnatural’ on BBC’s The Nolan Show
(ANGELOS TZORTZINIS/AFP/Getty)
During an on-air conversation about Northern Ireland’s controversial stance on same-sex marriage and other LGBT rights, a caller from Maghera, County Londonderry, phoned in to BBC Radio Ulster to say gay people as “sinners” and their relationships as “unnatural.”
Having opened The Nolan Show by talking about Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster and her recent attendance at the PinkNews’ summer reception in Belfast on June 28, host Stephen Nolan connected with Frieda to further discuss such topics. She began by saying that she doesn’t agree with previous guests for suggesting that people, in this day and age, should “move into the 21st Century” and champion equality for all.
Host Stephen Nolan began his morning segment by talking about DUP leader Arlene Foster’s attendance at PinkNews’ summer reception event in Belfast (Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
“We stand very firmly, not against any person, but the sin of homosexuality, lesbianism, incest, bestiality, prostitution and all sexually immoral practices. We are not homophobic.”
Taken aback by some of her claims, Nolan asked: “Why are you talking about bestiality when we’re talking about homosexuality?”
“I’m just listing those things that are sinful in the eyes of God,” she replied. “We are in this world, we reach out to others and yes, homosexual people in this country.
“My one aim and goal in life is to point them to Jesus. They are people that need to acknowledge their sinful lives. It’s unnatural. They hand over the burn of lust, one to another. God says lesbian women, for example, change their natural use.”
BBC Radio Ulster DJ Stephen Nolan (R) wasn’t too keen on a caller waxing lyrical about the bible’s anti-gay “teachings” on-air (Claire Greenway/Getty Images)
Audibly irritated by his guest’s thoughts, Nolan asked the caller whether she had ever lusted in her life. When she said that she hadn’t but she is a married woman, Nolan challenged her and suggested that they talk about her sexuality on air instead.
“I’m not prepared to talk about that,” she dismissed. “I’m an ordinary, married woman.”
“But you’re prepared to talk about gay people’s sexuality,” Nolan responded. “So I think it would be fair and gay people are ordinary men and women. You say gay people lust, but don’t love. Why don’t you lust?”
“God’s word says they lust,” Frieda argued, before saying that she wasn’t trying to set herself above anyone. “Are you sure,” a doubting Nolan asked before allowing John O’Doherty, director of the LGBT organisation The Rainbow Project to chime in.
John O’Doherty (R) of the Rainbow Project clapped back at the homophobic caller (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
“I don’t think Frieda gets to define whether she’s homophobic,” O’Doherty said. “I think if you’re going to refer to same-sex relationships as being unnatural, that is a homophobic comment.
“Frieda comes on regularly to tell us what the bible thinks; the bible condones slavery… Does she believe people should be allowed to own slaves today? Or is the reality that the bible teaches us many important messages about how we should treat each other. It was written at a point in time which is not reflective of the way society is today or the human rights that should exist for all people.”
