More than 300 campaigners swarmed the grounds of the House of Assembly as June began with a storm of protests over the House’s refusal to accept a gay rights bill.

Protesters were furious at the rejection of Renee Webb’s bid to outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation a few days earlier.

Carrying placards demanding equal rights for all, they staged one of the biggest demonstrations Bermuda has seen for years.

PLP and UBP politicians were grilled by campaigners as they left the House for lunch, while Ms Webb was roundly cheered as she appeared on the House balcony.

Ms Webb, now out of favour with many PLP colleagues over the issue, said she was pleased to see she was not a “lone voice” in a debate that appeared to have split the country.

She claimed the turnout sent a clear message to Government that “all people should be equal under law”.

The gay rights issue dominated the headlines for weeks from the moment Ms Webb’s bill was rejected by the House at the end of May.

The backbencher had delivered an impassioned hour-and-a-half long speech on why the amendment to the Human Rights Act 1981 — which would have added “sexual orientation” to the list of things for which people cannot be legally discriminated against — was needed.

However, it was turned down in a voice vote, with those opposing it loudly making heard their objections heard.

Ms Webb was further angered by the lack of debate over the bill, with only fellow PLP backbencher Nelson Bascome standing up. Mr. Bascome denounced homophobia but added he didn’t believe the House could “legislate morality”.

Sport Minister Dale Butler, who backed the bill, said he intended to speak but had missed his chance as he was in the toilet. This explanation failed to find favour with protesters.

Ms Webb declared the leadership of the two parties “the weakest I have ever seen”.

“I have never seen anything so lacking courage in what I just saw. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” she said.

Days after the protest, the AME church registered its opposition to the bill, claiming it would open the door to gay marriages and reduce religious liberty.

Shadow Finance Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin later revealed she took her own church to task over its opposition to the bill.

The stance of the African Methodist Episcopal Church could lead people to brand Christians as hypocrites, Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin claimed.

“Within the church pulpit you have every manner of every sin that’s ever been created,” she said. “I think they took the position based on a view of the homosexual lifestyle.”

By the end of the month, Ms Webb had vowed to bring the bill back before the House when the new session began in November. She claimed both sides of the House had asked her to re-table it.

Ms Webb had faced criticism from some MPs for failing to lobby properly on the bill before she brought it to the house.

Rejecting this, she said that while she would continue to lobby those “who want the information” it was up to MPs to do their own research on the matter.