NSW Legislative Council member Rev. Fred Nile says it can be "quite dangerous to promote homosexuality in schools to children" during a special edition of Q&A. Courtesy: Q&A/ABC

IT STARTED as a balanced discussion on whether the marriage equality campaign was distracting from other issues facing the gay and lesbian community. It ended with a comment that left the audience reeling.

When Reverend Fred Nile tried to claim fellow Christians were being “persecuted by homosexuals” on a special Thursday night edition of Q&A, he was booed by the audience and slammed on social media.

The NSW state MP, a Christian Democrat, said a number of business owners in the US and the UK who objected to providing a service for same-sex couples had lost their livelihoods as a result of being taken to court for discrimination.

He then went on to accuse the gay community of using the law to persecute those who felt it was against their religious beliefs to provide services.

“What worries me in some of the states in America where it has come in, and in the UK, the people who are now being persecuted are the Christians who don’t agree with same-sex marriage,” the Reverend told the audience.

“We had a cake manufacturer who said I won’t make a cake for a same-sex couple for their wedding. They took him to court. They forced the closure of his business.

“A marriage registrar who was a Christian said ‘I won’t register a same-sex marriage’. They took her to court and she lost her job.

“These people talk about being tolerant, homosexuals say let’s be tolerant, except when they get the power, they exercise the power. I have a number of friends now before the anti-discrimatnion tribunal who are being persecuted by homosexuals in this state.”

“They are. Don’t laugh. They are,” he added.

Is the marriage equality campaign distracting from other issues facing the queer community? #QandA panel responds http://t.co/vz6U7WnUkF — ABC Q&A (@QandA) June 18, 2015

Rev. Fred Nile talking about persecution BY homosexuals lel lel #QandA #goodoneFred — Alyssa (@omgitsalyssa) June 18, 2015

So @frednile can list 2 heterosexuals who are victims of persecution. That sure makes the millions of persecuted gay folk look weak. #qanda — Shinwah Lollyflap (@gilfer) June 18, 2015

Earlier, transgender woman Julia Doulman, who starred in the documentary Becoming Julia, said she was “over” the debate surrounding same-sex marriage, and called on Prime Minister Tony Abbott to “get on” with it so Australia could “get on with more important things”.

Ms Doulman was joined by gay rights activist and author Professor Dennis Altman, entertainer Paul Capsis, broadcaster and journalist Julie McCrossin, and Katherine Hudson, the founder of Wear it Purple, on the special Q&A program, which discussed the major issues facing the gay, lesbian and transgender community.

The show was held to coincide with the release of the documentary Between a Frock and a Hard Place, which looks at the story behind the film The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

The Reverend’s view on gay and lesbian sex and gay parents also set social media on fire.

wtf! (ptp) - Fred Nile thinks it's OK to be gay - as long as there is no sex - unbelievable! #qanda #queer #auspol — David Sentinella (@VerdantDavid) June 18, 2015

#qanda Fred Nile says children with same sex parents haven't been given a choice. Being indoctrinated into a religion isn't a choice either. — Catherine Thomson (@tassiedevil) June 18, 2015

But not all of his comments were unpopular. Reverend Nile received a round of applause from the audience when he revealed he was part of the committee that repealed the provocation defence, which had been used as a legal exculpation for attacking homosexuals.

I never knew Fred Nile was part of repealing the provocation defence. He's good for something. #qanda — David Boen (@Davo_B_56) June 18, 2015