ARLENE FOSTER was quizzed by Guardian columnist Owen Jones about the possibility of a same-sex marriage referendum in Northern Ireland.
The two met at the Tory Party conference yesterday, where the prominent gay journalist conducted an interview with the DUP leader on camera.
.@OwenJones84 confronts DUP leader Arlene Foster on same-sex marriage pic.twitter.com/75HcOIS58S
— The Guardian (@guardian) October 2, 2018
Jones asked her why gay people should not have the right to express their love for their partners by getting married in Northern Ireland.
Foster, who has never hid her views on the issue, told Jones: "Well they do have the right to express their love. Nobody is taking about anybody not being able to love another person. Of course they can.
"I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman."
The well-known journalist put it to her that equal marriage is going to happen in Northern Ireland regardless, and added "history will judge all of this".
Not phased by this, Foster said: "I think Owen, the important thing is as a politician you have to have principles and if you believe in something I think you should be allowed to articulate that."
To that Mr Jones replied: "That's a principle? Not for gay people to get married? What a principle..."
Mrs Foster finished the interview by saying: "If you have a belief, I think you should be allowed to have a belief, otherwise we would live in a very intolerant world wouldn't we?"
There has been increased calls of late for a referendum to be held in Northern Ireland on the issue of same-sex marriage.
Business leaders from international companies including Coca-Cola, Citi and Deloitte have called for gay marriage to be legalised in Northern Ireland in recent weeks.
Ireland became the first country to legalise marriage by popular vote in 2015.
