Just when you thought Fine Gael TD Michelle Mulherin couldn’t get any more ridiculous, she outdoes herself by attacking youth resource website SpunOut.ie (which is 20% funded by the HSE), for publishing tips on how to safely have a threesome. In fact, she’s so outraged that she’s going to raise the non-issue with health minister James Reilly, because it’s not like he has anything better to do, or a banjaxed health service to sort out or anything.
The article on the site, which offers non-judgmental and reliable advice and support for young people on a huge range of issues, was called “incredibly regressive” by Mulherin, which is a bit rich coming from someone who uses the word “fornication” in all seriousness. It also makes no sense, as saying it’s regressive would suggest that there used to be days when sex was freely and openly discussed in this country and not something to be brushed under the carpet. I don’t know about you, but a time like that certainly doesn’t ring any bells for me.
The whole debacle is ideal Liveline fodder, and I imagine Joe Duffy was only raring to go before yesterday’s show. As expected, it was a perfect storm of outrage and hysteria, complete with callers who hadn’t read the article, or in one case didn’t even know the name of the website, and yet considered themselves well-informed enough to huff and puff about what a supposed disgrace it all is. CHILDREN are being TOLD to have threesomes by the HSE Joe! On an open website that anyone can get into! (That last bit is actually a direct quote.)
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Joe’s opinion on the matter was that if one of the target demographic of 16-25 year olds are asked to take part in a threesome, JUST SAY NO. Because every teenager wants to get sex advice from Joe Duffy. When one of the more reasonable callers was making the point that it’s surely a good thing for young people to have all the information they can possibly get on such topics, Joe quickly leapt onto his high horse, likening it to someone saying “Here’s some heroin! And here are the best ways to take it!” Because that’s exactly the same thing.
The fact is, SpunOut.ie is an extremely useful resource and considering that there’s little to no sex education in this country, having a reliable source to turn to for honest and open advice is hardly a bad thing. Focusing on one single article on an entire website that helps and informs young people does a disservice to all the good work they do. Perhaps Michelle Mulherin and Joe Duffy would prefer it if teenagers were told that sex before marriage is shameful and dirty and to just say a decade of the rosary instead. That’ll definitely work.
What do you make of the whole threesome furore?
