Paisley and McGuinness 'split' over gay equality
European legislation granting equality to homosexuals has left the North’s First and Deputy First Ministers at loggerheads, it was claimed today.
Legal proceedings and fines for non-compliance could result if a deadline for an agreed position later this month isn’t met, a committee of Assembly members at Stormont heard.
The dispute surrounds a Brussels’ law which would force a religious guesthouse owner to give two gay men a double room.
A department letter to the committee said First Minister Ian Paisley from the Democratic Unionists had not approved the law but didn’t mention Sinn Féin’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, understood to favour it.
SDLP committee member Dolores Kelly said: “It is supposed to be a joint office. The two ministers are at loggerheads but how will it be resolved?
“It isn’t good enough for Ian Paisley to use his religious convictions in this way.
“Why was it not tabled before, why has the Deputy First Minister remained silent on this?”
If the deadline of December 21 for introducing the Gender, Goods and Services Directive in the province isn’t met there could be heavy fines, committee members claimed.
Sinn Féin committee member Barry McElduff said: “It is very unusual when the OFMDFM replies and names the First Minister.
“I am very concerned that these fines and legal proceedings could take place.
“There is a deadline of December 21 and I am disappointed if the infraction proceedings are going to result as a consequence.”
The letter to the committee said the First Minister was: “not agreeable to the explicit inclusion of reference to transgender or gender reassignment in the regulations because of concern over definition and possible impacts on business owners and service providers”.
Concern has been expressed about the effect of the directive by religious groups across the UK, DUP committee member Stephen Moutray said.
“The objection is that Christians could be forced to take part in things which they morally find that they can’t,” he added.
“Bible-believing Christians would be put in a position where they could have to take part in ceremonies at gay weddings or if they were a guesthouse owner they would have to give a double room to two gay men.”
UUP committee chairman Danny Kennedy said the dropping of Mr McGuinness from the letter was: “An interesting presentation of the views contained within the department.”
