Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
DUP slammed over plan to amend ‘gay conversion’ ruling
Motion will be debated today
THE DUP has been criticised over a proposed amendment to an Assembly motion calling for a ban on so-called gay conversion therapy.
Its change to the motion, which MLAS will debate today, removes a section saying “it is fundamentally wrong to view our LGBTQ community as requiring a fix or cure”.
The party also urges the Assembly “recognises that legitimate religious activities such as preaching, prayer and pastoral support do not constitute conversion therapy”.
The original motion calls for the Communities Minister to bring forward legislation before the next election to “ban conversion therapy in all its forms”.
UUP MLA Doug Beattie, who tabled the motion alongside his party colleague John Stewart, said he was “genuinely disappointed” by the DUP amendment.
He tweeted: “The LGBTQ community are our brothers and sisters, our sons and daughters, our doctors, nurses, police officers, soldiers, a myriad of public and private services. They do not need fixed or cured.”
Sinn Fein’s Caral Ni Chuilin described the amendment as an “insult to the LGBT+ community”, while Alliance MLA Andrew Muir branded it “both predictable and contemptible”.
The DUP said it opposes conversion therapy but wants a balance between safeguarding against “dangerous practices” and any attempt to restrict religious freedom.
A spokesman said: “The Democratic Unionist Party believes discrimination against someone, whether in the past or today, on the basis of their sexual orientation is wrong. We are all equal and should be treated as such.
“As a party, we do not support ‘gay conversion therapy’ and are clear that no one should be forced into any treatment against their will.
“Our approach to any legislation that may come forward will be in adherence to this principle.
“In equal measure, we believe there must be a balance between safeguarding against dangerous practices and any attempt, deliberate or otherwise, to restrict freedom of religious belief, speech and association.
“We retain a level of concern that the debate on this important issue has at times become conflated with efforts to restrict these freedoms and constrain legitimate activities by religious organisations or others which cannot reasonably be deemed to be conversion therapy.”
Campaign group Ban Conversion Therapy NI, a coalition of LGBT organisations, describes conversion therapy as practices which attempt to change someone’s sexuality or gender identity.
Amnesty International said a ban on conversion therapy “must include harmful religious practices”.
Patrick Corrigan, Northern Ireland programme director, added: “‘Praying the gay away’ is just as unacceptable as any other pseudoscientific approach which tells LGBT+ people they are ‘sick’ and ‘broken’ and can change their sexual orientation or gender
identity.”
LGBTQ community do not need to be fixed or cured UUP’S DOUG BEATTIE ON TWITTER