A DUP councillor has been criticised for 'liking' a homophobic and anti-transgender message on Twitter.
Stephen Moutray, a former MLA for Upper Bann, liked a tweet which was responding to a post by an Alliance MLA.
Paula Bradshaw had posted a photo of herself with party colleagues Andrew Muir and Eóin Tennyson, two openly gay MLAs, at an LGBT event at Stormont.
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Ms Bradshaw expressed her "unwavering support for the trans community in an increasingly hostile and intolerant environment".
In response a Twitter user replied: "Two deviants and an enabler."
The tweet was accompanied by an image with text which read: "There is no such thing as trans. There is only male or female manipulated and altered by drugs and surgeries. The sex you were born with never changes."
Mr Moutray, a councillor for Lurgan, was among those who 'liked' the tweet response.
The DUP and Mr Moutray were approached for comment but they did not respond.
The MLA appeared to 'unlike' the tweet after being contacted by Belfast Live.
Alliance's Ms Bradshaw described the liking of the tweet as "really disappointing" and said she hoped the DUP's leadership would be "condemning this without reservation".
Alliance councillor Peter Lavery said it was "yet another clearly homophobic comment" linked to a DUP politician.
The Lurgan representative added: "That attitude is not acceptable in any way, shape or form.
"Once again, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and DUP leadership need to come out and condemn this in the strongest possible terms.
"Otherwise, taken in conjunction with another recent incident involving homophobic statements being made by an elected representative of the DUP, which the party has so far failed to respond to, questions need to be asked if the party actually agrees with these views."
It comes after Mr Tennyson earlier this month accused DUP MLA David Hilditch of "homophobic trolling" over tweets aimed at the Alliance representative.
In response Mr Hilditch told the Sunday Life, "I'm not homophobic at all," and said he was making no further comment.
The DUP faced criticism over not attending the LGBT event at Stormont on Wednesday night hosted by Pink News.
DUP South Antrim MLA Pam Cameron, who was at the event last year, did not attend this time due to an unforeseen illness, the party said.
She had been due to take part in a panel discussion alongside Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie, Sinn Féin MLA Emma Sheerin, Alliance's Mr Tennyson and SDLP councillor Séamas de Faoite.
During the debate, the DUP was also criticised over six of its MPs backing Reclaim MP Andrew Bridgen's bid to introduce a Westminster bill banning the promotion or discussion of gender transitioning in schools.
Panel chair Karen McShane, a trustee of the Rainbow Project, said DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson had yet to accept an invitation to meet with the LGBT charity since last year's event.
The DUP has a long history of hostility towards the LGBT community. Party founder Ian Paisley led the 'Save Ulster from Sodomy' campaign in the late 1970s against the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Northern Ireland.
In 2021, then DUP deputy leader Paula Bradley apologised for the "absolutely atrocious" comments made in the past by some in her party against LGBT people.
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