Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
First DUP leader at LGBT event
ARLENE Foster has become the first DUP leader to attend an event hosted by the LGBT community.
Her appearance at the Pinknews awards at Stormont is the latest in a series of outreach initiatives.
The DUP has been heavily criticised by LGBT activists for past derogatory comments about gay people and its ongoing resistance to same sex marriage.
The moves come amid the powersharing impasse at Stormont and accusations from Sinn Fein that its rival does not respect some sections of society.
Mrs Foster mingled and chatted with fellow guests and posed for photos.
She was accompanied by party colleagues Simon Hamilton and Paula Bradley who co-sponsored the event.
She reflected that she was determined to attend, despite yesterday marking the 30th anniversary of an IRA bomb attack on her school bus in Fermanagh.
Mrs Foster said: “I look at you as my neighbours or my fellow citizens.
“It should not only be in our worst moments, such as the bus bomb, that we are reminded we are equal.”
Mrs Foster added she understood the interest in her attendance. She added: “I look forward to a time when such attendance will be unremarkable,
“I wanted to acknowledge the contribution of the LGBT community in Northern Ireland and to recognise the reality of diversity among our citizens.
“I wanted to recognise that some of our brightest and best in this country are part of the LGBT community. I wanted to send a clear message from this event, that we are all someone’s child and we are all a valued part of this wonderful place we call home. “I wanted to use this platform to encourage meaningful engagement rather than megaphone diplomacy.
“As a mature democracy, we must all enter into a new spirit of respectfulness and understand that we will not always agree but we will always try to treat each other with good manners and grace. “For my part, I believe I can hold to my principled position, particularly in relation to the definition of marriage, whilst respecting the diversity across our society.”
Mrs Foster stressed that Northern Ireland had a “very strong faith community”. She added: “And people of faith contribute in many different ways to society here including to our business community, they should be free to do so without having to abandon their faith. “We need to be in a space where we accept each other for who we are and we respect people’s conscientious position. “Sexuality is for each individual. Our value should not be based on whether we are heterosexual or homosexual.
“Just because we disagree on marriage does not mean I don’t value the LGBT community. It is not a zero sum game.” Some people clapped Mrs Foster’s speech but many in the hall declined to applaud when she finished her remarks.