Paula Bradley says sorry for DUP's "atrocious" remarks aimed at the LGBT community

By Q Radio News

DUP deputy leader Paula Bradley has apologised for comments made in the past about LGBT people by some of her party colleagues.
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The North Belfast MLA was taking part in an online event hosted by the Pink News newspaper:

She added their remarks had "fed into the hatred" targeted at the LGBT community in Northern Ireland. 

DUP deputy leader Paula Bradley has apologised for comments made in the past about LGBT people by some of her party colleagueshttps://t.co/E2FPde2oFN

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Ms Bradley, who represents North Belfast in the Northern Ireland Assembly, was elected deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in May.

She has previously been described as the DUP's most liberal assembly member.

Yesterday, Ms Bradley was among politicians who took part in an online discussion about LGBT rights, chaired by John O'Doherty from the Rainbow Project.

Asked about the DUP's track record of comments aimed at the community, she said: "I am not going to defend some of the things that have been said over the years because they've been absolutely atrocious, they've been shocking."

She added: "I certainly couldn't stand by many of those comments - in fact all of those comments - because I know the hurt that they cause people and I know that fed into the hatred that some people have had to endure in their life and I think that's absolutely wrong.

"I think the vast majority of those people who made those comments are no longer there and the ones that are there have said that they have learned their lessons - that their language at times has not been right."

Ms Bradley said it was an issue she had raised "on numerous occasions" within the DUP, adding that language used by elected representatives had an impact in wider society.

Responding to the question on whether the DUP should apologise, she said: "I can certainly say I apologise for what others have said and done in the past, because I do think there have been some very hurtful comments and some language that really should not have been used."

Her remarks have been backed by the new leader of the DUP, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson who also apologised to the LGBT community for hurt caused by past remarks made by members of his party.

He said people can hold “deeply held views” on social issues and express them in a respectful way.

“There is no doubt that in the past things have been said that should not have been said across a whole range of issues, and not just by the DUP, I have seen people on marches and at rallies say things about the DUP that have been hurtful to us and our members as well,” he told BBC Radio Ulster.

“I have seen things said about people from faith communities that have been hurtful and should not have been said.

“I think it is right to apologise when we have said things that have been hurtful to others.

“There are differences in our society, differences and deeply held views on social issues, and what I want to see in Northern Ireland is a discourse that is respectful of difference.

“People can hold their sincerely held views without the need to say things that are hurtful to others. We can disagree but we can disagree well.

“Where we have said things that have hurt others then it is right that we say sorry for that. Sorry needn’t be the hardest word.”

(Paula Bradley has been described by some as the most liberal DUP assembly member)