The DUP has called on the Northern Parades Commission to examine whether future gay pride parades in Belfast should be restricted after a placard at last Saturday's parade proclaimed that "Jesus is a fag".
P A Mac Lochlainn, a spokesman for the Northern Ireland gay rights association, yesterday defended the carrying of the placard by a woman at the parade, adding that he believed Jesus Christ was homosexual.
Belfast DUP councillor Christopher Stalford said yesterday the organisers of the event were entitled to stage the parade but complained that the display of the placard was a deliberate, inflammatory insult to Christians.
"Belfast Pride claims to promote respect for diversity, yet a blasphemous, provocative placard was carried during the gay pride parade in Belfast.
"It is an affront to all Christians and indeed to anyone who would wish to see respect and tolerance towards those of any religion," he said in a statement.
"Whether the organising committee sanctioned the placard, or simply turned a blind eye, questions must be raised by those funding such events and the Parades Commission should be looking into the need for restrictions on any further parade.
"Christians all over the pro-vince, and indeed, the world will be disgusted by this slur. If such provocative claims were made against Muhammad, Muslims would rightly be up in arms. It is about time those who regulate such public displays clamp down on those continually attacking Christianity and the Christian values of this country," he said.
Mr Stalford and Mr Mac Lochlainn debated the issue on BBC Radio Ulster's Stephen Nolan programme yesterday. Mr Mac Lochlainn, a former executive member of the SDLP, defended as a matter of free speech the carrying of the placard.
He said Mr Stalford was not entitled to "censor" him, adding that he believed Jesus was gay.
"I believe that a 33-year-old unmarried rabbi living in Israel, in the time that he was living and having a favourite friend among the apostles called John, was quite clearly a gay man," he said.
"I am entitled to that belief as a gay Christian. Christ, if he were alive today, would be on the parade with us, on the side of the underprivileged, not standing superciliously at the side looking on like Christopher," he said.
Mr Stalford said he was not trying to curtail Mr Mac Lochlainn's freedom of speech but the placard went "beyond the Pale" of decency.
