Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister said yesterday that people who resorted to or supported homophobic crimes should "catch up with society's changing attitudes towards lesbian and gay people".
Martin McGuinness made the comments when he officially launched the Foyle Pride festival which takes place in Derry from August 13-18th. The launch took place in the Queen Street office of the city's Rainbow Project, a gay men's health promotion organisation.
In 2002, when Derry last hosted the festival, there were 98 homophobic attacks in the city. This year there have been two. "That shows the progress which has been made in recent times in relation to peoples' attitudes towards the issue of sexual orientation," said Mr McGuinness.
"In years gone by and when I was growing up in Derry, people often made derogatory remarks against gays.
"Those days have gone, primarily due to an awareness and educational programme initiated by the Rainbow Project.
"Attitudes have changed in terms of people's opinions of discrimination in terms of sexual orientation, colour and creed and that has to be welcomed.
"No one should be discriminated against on the basis of their sexual orientation in the same way that it should not happen because of their age, race or indeed any other characteristic of their being," he said.
Mr McGuinness supported the decision of the 07 Féile committee in Derry to paint the Free Derry Wall pink in support of the festival.
Hours after the wall was painted last weekend offensive graffiti was daubed on it. The graffiti was later removed.