A protest held at Stormont on Monday as MLAs vote on Same Sex Marriage Bill

A motion on same sex marriage has been defeated at Stormont.

The motion had been put forward by Sinn Fein but it is opposed by the DUP.

However, 53 MLAs voted against the motion to 42 in favour. There were three abstentions.

Michael Copeland, Basil McCrea and John McCallister were the only unionists to vote for Sinn Fein’s gay marriage motion.

Following the vote, TUV leader Jim Allister said “Glad to vote today against the redefining of marriage and its perversion via same sex marriage and to help defeat this proposition, again.”

Amnesty International, which supported the motion, was disappointed at the vot.

Spokesman Patrick Corrigan tweeted: “Key role of real political leaders is to eradicate discrimination and inequality.

” The Northern Ireland Assembly has failed again today to fulfill that role.”

A compromise motion by the Alliance Party has been defeated.

A number of protests have been held at Stormont, one in favour of the Bill and one against.