Arlene Foster's decision to attend an LGBT event in Northern Ireland next week represents an important step towards dialogue, the organisers said.
The PinkNews reception at the seat of Northern Ireland's suspended devolved parliament at Stormont will be held on June 28.
Campaigners said it was the first time a DUP leader had agreed to take part in such an occasion.
The country is the only part of the UK where same-sex marriage is not available.
Change is strongly opposed by Democratic Unionists, who argue that civil partnerships are already available and believe marriage is between a man and a woman.
Benjamin Cohen, chief executive and editor-in-chief at PinkNews, said: "The decision by Arlene Foster to attend the first PinkNews event in Belfast is an important step towards encouraging a dialogue in Northern Ireland and we're delighted that there will be a number of other senior cross-party representatives attending and speaking."
Political powersharing has been suspended in Northern Ireland for months, with Sinn Fein raising identity and rights issues such as same-sex marriage as key matters to be addressed in negotiations.
Mrs Foster recently met members of the Fermanagh Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and the Muslim community as part of a series of gestures aimed towards greater inclusivity.
She said: "I intend to accept that invitation to demonstrate my acknowledgement of that contribution and to recognise the reality of diversity among our citizens.
"For me I believe I can hold to my principled position, particularly in reality to the definition of marriage, whilst respecting the diversity across our society and recognising that sexuality is a matter for the individual.
"All I ask in return is that my, and our views, are also respected and not the subject of the vilest of abuse as has sometimes been the case by a small minority."
Mrs Foster said her party was not changing its position on marriage but reaching out to acknowledge the contribution made by a section of the community.
"Just because we disagree on marriage does not mean that I can't say that we value those who are LGBT in our society and they should not be the subject of hate because of their sexuality.
"Remember, everyone is equal under the law and equally subject to the law."
She said unionism stood for pluralism and multiculturalism.
"We must be inclusive and welcome all, recognising they bring added value to a broader and greater overall sum.
"I want to genuinely reach out to our minority communities and show them the hand of friendship, recognising they have made Northern Ireland their home.
"If we truly believe in equality of opportunity for all in Northern Ireland, then we must respectfully engage and reach out to those who perhaps have not always been respectful of our position. We do so from a position of strength."
John O'Doherty, director of the Rainbow Project in Belfast which campaigns on same-sex issues, said: "While I and many in our community have been hurt by comments and actions by members of the DUP over many years, the only way we can achieve a Northern Ireland that is welcoming of all people is through dialogue, learning and of course listening."
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel