THE DUP has been accused of voting to block a gay rights group from a cross-community schools programme.
The Walk in My Shoes initiative gives secondary school pupils the opportunity to learn about issues such as discrimination.
For years the Armagh-area scheme included a study trip to Belfast that involved visiting the Rainbow Project, an LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) support group.
But this year the new Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon council has voted to run the good relations programme without the Belfast excursion.
The trip was dropped after councillors on the leisure and community services committee asked for a private meeting with council officials.
A second option then emerged at last week's full council meeting, which replaced the Belfast trip with Ballycastle community centre Corrymeela for a programme that has yet to be devised.
A majority of councillors voted for the Corrymeela option after a proposal to include both locations failed to gain enough support on the unionist-dominated council.
SDLP councillor Joe Nelson yesterday expressed concern over the decision, saying he believed it was a "move to exclude the LGBT community".
"In my mind it's an example of some of the backward type of behaviour associated with particularly the DUP in excluding them," he said.
"They have never said of course, but the whole idea was to exclude the Rainbow Project because of its representation of the LGBT community."
But the DUP's Mark Baxter, chair of the leisure and community services committee, strongly dismissed the claims and insisted the decision had nothing to do with the Rainbow Project.
The councillor said Corrymeela was proposed to give pupils the chance to look at the refugee crisis and that option received cross-party support.
"The Belfast trip was to visit the murals on both sides of the divide, it wasn't just about the Rainbow Project," he said.
Mr Baxter, who was not at the full council meeting, added: "Corrymeela are cross-community and it was more worthwhile in our opinion on this occasion.
"There was no contention around the project in Belfast."
Rainbow Project policy manager Gavin Boyd expressed disappointment and warned there could be an issue under the council's statutory equality duties if the group had been purposely excluded.
"The Rainbow Project has been hosting delegations of young people from Armagh for the past four years," he said.
"These sessions have often been the first opportunity for young people to ask questions and learn about sexual orientation and gender. We have always enjoyed delivering these sessions and feedback from the participants has always been positive."
He added that the Rainbow Project did not benefit financially from the visits.
"We would like to understand the reasons which led the council to make this decision and for those councillors who clearly have misgivings about the work of the Rainbow Project, we would encourage them to visit."
Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon council said 26 of the 35 councillors present at last week's meeting backed the Corrymeela option, but details of the breakdown were unavailable.
