A leading gay rights group has reacted with fury to remarks by a DUP councillor that Hurricane Katrina was an act of God against homosexuals.
Ballymena councillor Maurice Mills also branded homosexuality a "filthy practice" responsible for the devastating scourge of Aids across Africa.
The Rainbow Project - Northern Ireland's highest profile gay rights organisation - has challenged the DUP to give an unqualified response to the councillor's comments.
"It would appear that the politics of the DUP is contaminated with a particular brand of religious fundamentalism, which is used by its adherents as a cloak to justify vile homophobia," a spokesman said.
"We demand the DUP clarify its position on both racism and homophobia, as its public representatives are often to be found delivering barely articulate, pseudo-religious diatribes which run contrary to one of their election pledges, which states that the party is committed to 'Equality for all'.
He added: "We also want to know if disciplinary action will be taken against Mills and if the DUP is aware of how his comments may be challenged through the utilisation of hate crime legislation."
Mr Mills said the recent natural disaster to hit the US - which claimed 1,300 lives and left tens of thousands homeless - was sent by God as a warning to the world, two days before a "gay mardi gras" in the city.
"The abominable and filthy practice of sodomy has resulted in Africa being riddled with Aids." he said.
In July, DUP MLA Paul Berry was suspended from the party following newspaper claims he had met a male masseur in a Belfast hotel who alleged a sexual encounter took place.
Mr Berry denied the allegations and is facing a party disciplinary hearing.
In the 1980s the DUP leader, Ian Paisley, campaigned to "save Ulster from sodomy." Earlier this year, Ian Paisley Jnr claimed that the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland view same-sex relationships as "obnoxious and deeply offensive".
Former DUP councillor for Newtownabbey, Arthur Templeton, was thrown out of the party after he was convicted of anti-gay harassment against a fellow election candidate. While Fermanagh DUP councillor Bert Johnston said last February that gays were "perverts with reprobate minds".