Rory O'Neill
Comments about homophobia on RTÉ ("Pantigate")
#### Comments about homophobia on RTÉ ("Pantigate")

On 11 January 2014, O'Neill appeared on [RTÉ](/wiki/RT%C3%89 "RTÉ")'s *[The Saturday Night Show](/wiki/The_Saturday_Night_Show "The Saturday Night Show")* with [Brendan O'Connor](/wiki/Brendan_O%27Connor_%28media_personality%29 "Brendan O'Connor (media personality)"), where he and O'Connor discussed [homophobia](/wiki/Homophobia "Homophobia"), and O'Neill alleged that some specific people involved in Irish journalism were homophobic. This became known as "Pantigate".

Those mentioned threatened RTÉ and O'Neill with legal action. RTÉ subsequently removed that section of the interview from their online archive. On 25 January episode of the Saturday Night Show, O'Connor issued a public apology on behalf of RTÉ to those mentioned by O'Neill in the interview held two weeks previously. RTÉ paid €85,000 to those named by O'Neill.

The payouts were later discussed by members of [Oireachtas](/wiki/Oireachtas "Oireachtas"). The incident was also discussed in the European Parliament. with Irish MEP [Paul Murphy](/wiki/Paul_Murphy_%28Irish_politician%29 "Paul Murphy (Irish politician)"), calling the payout "a real attack on the freedom of speech" and stating "When John Waters says that gay marriage is 'a kind of satire', that is homophobia. When Breda O’Brien says 'equality must take second place to the common good', that is homophobia. When the [Iona Institute](/wiki/Iona_Institute "Iona Institute") campaign against gay marriage because it is gay marriage, that is homophobia." RTÉ's head of television defended the €85,000 payout stating that it saved RTÉ "an absolute multiple" in the long term.


How do you define homophobia and its forms?