Irish Pol Calls LGBT Outlet's Article About 'Gay Icon' Prince George 'Outrageous and Sick'

An Irish politician is making headlines this week for calling out an LGBT website for its article about Prince George, who was called a "gay icon," the BBC reports.

Press photos of Prince George went viral last month when social media users reacted to the 4-year-old exploring a helicopter during a family tour of an aviation factory. U.K. website PinkNews published an article with the headline "People think Prince George looks Fabulous in this new photo," and was called a "gay icon" in the story. Though the piece was meant to be "tongue-and-cheek," a politician from Ireland took major issue with the story, calling it "outrageous and sick."

Jim Allister, leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice party, wrote to PinkNews, demanding the site for an apology and the article to be withdrawn. But Benjamin Cohen, the chief executive of PinkNews, spoke with the BBC and said he has "no intention" of removing the article over a politician firmly against LGBT rights.

Cohen said as a gay man, he was offended by some of Allister's "repugnant" comments in his letter.

"Sexualising a young child in this fashion is entirely inappropriate," the politician reportedly wrote. "In reality, the photo which prompted the piece shows a four-year-old boy who is smartly dressed and excited about being on a helicopter with his male father and female mother.

"To take an image of a little boy and to fantasise of him being an icon for a life defined by sex is outrageous and sick," Allister added. He also used a Facebook user's comment to point out that the PinkNews article was "using 1970s stereotyping."

"It is ignorant in the extreme to speculate about the sexuality of any child in such a public fashion," the commenter added.

The article's author, Josh Jackman, told the BBC: "There are of course those who say that any discussion of the prince's sexuality is premature. But he insisted that the discussion 'isn't about his sexuality.'"

"As Madonna, Lady Gaga, the Babadook and yes, even Ariana Grande have shown, you don't have to be gay or even have a defined sexuality to be an LGBT icon," he added. Jackman's article also says children "are born with a sexuality, and should be encouraged to find it without it being assumed that they're straight."

Cohen issued a lengthy statement regarding the incident to the Daily Mail. Click here to read his full response to Allister.