A Liberal councillor and inaugural deputy mayor of the Inner West Council, who compared the rainbow flag to an ISIS banner, committed unlawful homosexual vilification, a tribunal has found.

The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal found that the impact of the public vilification committed by Julie Passas, who was voted to the deputy’s position as part of a power-sharing deal with Labor, was amplified by her council position.

The claim against Cr Passas was brought by her former neighbour, Daniel Comensoli. On the day that the result of the same-sex marriage survey was published in November 2017, Mr Comensoli placed a large rainbow flag outside his apartment to celebrate.

Julie Passas. Credit:

In response, Cr Passas told Mr Comensoli to remove the flag because it was "offensive to my culture and religion", according to evidence accepted by the tribunal members.