Comments by a DUP Assembly member that homosexual blood donors could pass on AIDS to patients provoked consternation in the Northern Assembly yesterday. Mr Edwin Poots (Lagan Valley) condemned the North's Human Rights Commission's call for a lifting of the ban on gay men giving blood.
"It is a human right for people who are receiving blood to know that they are getting clean blood and blood that has not been contaminated by the HIV virus," said Mr Poots.
He said the commission continually stressed it did not have sufficient resources but had produced a booklet on the rights of lesbians, gays and bisexuals, containing "extremely offensive" proposals.
Ms Monica McWilliams (Women's Coalition, South Belfast) said Mr Poots's remarks were disgraceful. Ms Dara O'Hagan (Sinn FΘin, Upper Bann) also said the views brought shame on the Assembly.
Mr Poots's comments came during a debate on a motion tabled by Mr Esmond Birnie (UUP, South Belfast) that the North's Human Rights Commission had failed to discharge its duties under the Belfast Agreement.
A vote has been delayed until next Monday after a petition of concern was tabled by the SDLP, meaning the motion will require cross-community support.
Mr Birnie said the human-rights body had illustrated bias towards those who were the enemies of human rights: "So far the Commission has given a privileged consideration to the perceived victims of state action, as opposed to the far greater number of victims of paramilitary abuse of rights."
Mr Poots said the commission concentrated on "pro-prisoner, pro-terrorist and pro-nationalist programmes." Mr Alex Attwood (SDLP, West Belfast) said that Mr Poots's comments were dangerous.