No Equal Rights For Gays Say DUP

Ian Paisley's DUP party are opposing any British move to give gay people equal rights in the North of Ireland.

The Northern Assembly debated a DUP motion today opposing the British government's decision to give gay people equal rights in the North. Under the Equality Act, discrimination against homosexuals in the provision of goods and services is specifically outlawed. The DUP says this should be an issue for the Stormont Assembly and not the British government, but Sinn Féin and the SDLP both oppose the DUP motion, accusing the party of bigotry.

The assembly debated equality for gays and lesbians, specifically a DUP assembly motion condemning government plans to introduce equality legislation for gays, lesbians and bisexuals. After a two-hour debate at Stormont, 39 assembly members voted in favour of a DUP motion and 39 against. The party claimed the new legislation could place Christian-run businesses on the "wrong side of the law".

During the debate, the DUP said Christian-run businesses would be deemed to be breaking the law "if they refused access to their goods and services on eithical grounds". Both the DUP and Ulster Unionist Party criticised the government for implementing the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations in the north of Ireland on 1 January ahead of the rest of the UK and for "holding only a two-month consultation". The DUP's Jeffrey Donaldson claimed the regulations would make schools which teach traditional Christian views "liable to a harassment claim from gay pupils if they taught homosexuality was sinful". "All six of the world's major religions are opposed to homosexual practice. Judaism, Islam and Christianity all teach that homosexual practice is sinful," he said. "The regulations will interfere with the freedom to manifest to one's religion because these are new restrictions."

Sinn Fein equality spokeswoman Caitriona Ruane accused the DUP of "whipping up homophobic sentiment with the motion". "This motion is part of yesterday's agenda, part of the bad old days of the past," she said. "Move on - show leadership. Days of second-class citizenship and hiding our identities are gone."

Ulster Unionist Dermot Nesbitt said the law would "leave Christian bookshops and adoption agencies vulnerable to harassment claims, despite their deeply-held views". "There are certain fundamental issues that require to be addressed and the process by which this government is taking this act forward not only denies that proper process of equality throughout the United Kingdom, but also denies the rights of people who truly feel very concerned," he said.

SDLP equality spokeswoman Patricia Lewsley, whose party`s youth wing staged a protest against the motion outside Parliament Buildings, accused the DUP of "scaremongering". "All they will prevent is discrimination and harassment - not the teaching of religious doctrine," she said. "Harassment only occurs if there is unwanted conduct which has purpose or intent of violating dignity or creating an intimidating, degrading or offensive environment."

Alliance Party leader David Ford acknowledged that the government`s consultation period during August and September "was not ideal". "I am not sure that there would have been any different response had there been another four weeks or another 14 weeks," he said.

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No Equal Rights For Gays Say DUP