The interview is conducted by Hot Press senior editor Jason O’Toole, Frank doesn’t hold back when criticizing the national broadcaster RTE’s coverage of environmental issues; and he even has a few strong words to say about his long-time journalistic home, The Irish Times…

On losing his virginity at 16-years-old in a public toilet, Frank reveals:“We ended up having it off in one of the cubicles. It was just one of those quickie things, which was all that was on offer at the time.”

On his experience of date rape, Frank McDonald tellsHot Press, “I was practically delirious and comatose by the time he drove me up to the Phoenix Park and had his way with me there.”

On sleeping with women in his early twenties, Frank reveals:“I thought it was great, and all the rest of it. But I knew it was not for me either.”

On the Cotagging scene, Frank says, “I wouldn’t say that I made a huge habit of it, but I was going around meeting guys on a regular basis at the time, different ones. In one of the back pages of a diary from the time, I had a list of them, under different headings – I didn’t even know their names in most cases. Even if I did know the names, the names were probably phony anyway.”

On taking cocaine, Frank admits:“I would’ve just taken it on an opportunistic basis over the years. I couldn’t care less if I never had another snort, let’s put it that way.”

On why he believes all drugs should be legalized, Frank explains, “If you look at the war between the Kinahans and the Hutches, and other crime cartels at war with each other, it’s over the control of the illegal drugs market. So, takethat away from them and you eliminate a whole lot of organised crime.”

On the Irish Times, Frank opines, “It irks me that The Irish Times was allowing such abuses of the English language as ‘from the get-go’ – what’s wrong with ‘from the start’? Or, letting a fashion tipster write twaddle.”

In this exclusive Hot Press interview, Frank McDonald explains why he thinks gay culture is more promiscuous today than it was in his formative years, talks about falling in love with his lifelong partner Eamon, discusses his regret about not coming out to his parents, airs his views on religion, and explains why he’d consider euthanasia …