Stormont Sports Minister Edwin Poots has stood by his criticism of a rugby team that purports to be the first in Northern Ireland to "openly identify with gay men".
Mr Poots had pointed to the formation of the Ulster Titans rugby team and accused it of sporting "apartheid".
"I just cannot fathom why people see the necessity to develop an apartheid in sport," he said.
The club, which played its first competitive match in September 2007 and took part in last year's Dublin Pride march, denies this.
It says that while it identifies with gay men, it is open to all.
The Minister said it was "unacceptable to produce an all-homosexual rugby team and I find it remarkable that people who talk so much about inclusivity and about having an equal role in society would then go down the route of exclusion."
However other parties accused him of basing objectionable remarks on presumption rather than fact.
Alliance executive director Gerry Lynch referred to the failure of the DUP to win a recent council byelection.
"The DUP are a wounded animal at the moment and Poots is thrashing around pandering to their old prejudices," Mr Lynch said. "
After the good rucking served to the DUP in the Dromore byelection, they are picking on gay people as a way of reconnecting with their base."
The SDLP and Sinn Féin also rounded on him.
SDLP Assembly member Dolores Kelly said the Minister should check his facts before making pronouncements.
Martina Anderson for Sinn Féin welcomed the formation of the Titans and said Mr Poots had a ministerial responsibility to represent all people, regardless of orientation.