Politicians have a duty to stand up for the inclusion of minorities, Alliance West Tyrone representative Councillor Stephen Donnelly has said, after a local DUP MLA shared “malicious anti-LGBT propaganda” on social media.

DUP West Tyrone MLA Tom Buchanan shared the post from a woman who claimed she was gay until she became a Christian. The post urges other LGBT people to ‘turn from false idols and fleeting pleasures’. Councillor Donnelly said while he was not surprised by Mr Buchanan’s actions, he was nevertheless disappointed.

“Politicians have a duty to stand up for the inclusion of minorities. However, unfortunately this is not the first time Tom Buchanan has shared malicious anti-LGBT propaganda,” he said.

“Our community is strengthened by its diversity and there is a wish across West Tyrone for us to continue building a society where people are equal, differences are respected and where acceptance prevails over intolerance, instead of cruelly dismissing people as sinful because of how they were born.

“LGBT people in West Tyrone deserve better than having their very existence being opposed by their local DUP MLA. Instead of targeting and attempting to stigmatise them even further, Mr Buchanan would be better speaking to LGBT people and hearing first hand how damaging posts such as his are.”