Mid Ulster Council passes motion calling for McLean to retract comments over homosexuality

Mid Ulster Council tonight passed a motion calling on DUP councillor, Paul McLean to retract comments he made over homosexuality.

Last month, Mr McLean, who is the DUP party leader on the new council, said that homosexuality 'should not be legal.'

Mr McLean made the comments during an interview with the Irish News following the resignation of former Health Minister, Jim Wells.

In the interview, councillor McLean said: "The biblical perspective is against it and I take that view. It goes against the bible's stance- so I don't believe it should be legal."

At tonight's council meeting in Dungannon, Sinn Fein's Caoimhe O'Neill, who tabled the motion, described Mr McLean's comments as 'regrettable, unhelpful and insensitive' to the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) community in Mid Ulster who she said 'contribute so much.'

Mrs O'Neill said: "I would ask that this council takes this opportunity to show much needed solidarity with this community and ask Mr McLean to withdraw his comments."

Hitting back, Paul McLean said: "I will always defend the rights of Christian people to quote the scriptures and live their lives according to God's word. "They should not be forced by any law of this land to dilute the bible or their sincerely held beliefs," he said.

Challenging Mrs O'Neill, Paul McLean said: "What right does Sinn Fein have to lecture me or anyone else in this chamber on ethics or morals and ask me to withdraw or retract my words based on their history? "I challenge councillor O'Neill to bring a motion next month asking this council to condemn- not just the words but also the actions and involvement of her party colleagues in the Provisional IRA.

"While this motion would try label me as homophobic, I am certainly not that," he added.

Councillor O'Neill's motion was carried by 23 votes to nine. UUP council members abstained from voting.

For more on this story, check out Tuesday's County Derry Post.