The consequences of being gay in Bermuda are so severe that politicians need to urgently outlaw homophobic discrimination.This was the message from speakers at yesterday's rally who stood on the steps of City Hall and called for an end to the Island's “discriminatory attitude.”About 100 placard-waving supporters came together to “put pressure on politicians” to amend the Human Rights Act, so those mistreated due to their sexual orientation will be protected by law.Student Krystl Assan, 22, launched the ‘Home Is Where The Hatred Is' campaign after she was allegedly told to leave a Bermuda guest house and “stay with her girlfriend.”Ms Assan received huge rounds of applause from the crowd as she said gays deserved the same legal protection as everyone else.She said: “We can't let our politicians evade it anymore, we can't let them run anymore.“We need to continue to put pressure on the people who make decisions for our country.“It's not about me, it's not about a single issue. Everyone will be best served by amendments to the Human Rights Act. We have to put pressure on the people who make decisions for our country.”Ms Assan said it “wasn't just a matter of sex” as she described homosexuals as “people who live full, complete lives and deserve to be treated like anyone else.”However, she suggested many people in Bermuda were only interested in the rhetoric rather than taking part in “dialogue and reaching solutions.”Ms Assan it was “shameful” that politicians had failed to “take heed” despite the efforts of former PLP MP Renee Webb, who tried and failed to push the law-change through Parliament in 2006. Many of those at yesterday's rally were holding homemade placards displaying slogans such as ‘War is hard, love is easy, what are we fighting?' and ‘Justice for all.'One woman had a sign stuck to her back saying ‘Gay rights are civil rights.'The crowd was made up of a mixture of students and workers. Gay rights campaigner and drag queen Mark Anderson, also known as Sybil Barrington, and OBA MP Shawn Crockwell were also in attendanceMs Assan went on to talk about acts of discrimination and blatant homophobia that “raised questions about Bermuda as a society.”She highlighted Mr Anderson being banned from the Bermuda Day Parade and the churches stopping the Rosie O'Donnell gay cruise coming to the Island.Ms Assan said: “The consequences are severe” as gay people are continually “confronted by hate.”She said her male friends had been beaten up for being gay and a female friend was sacked from her job because she didn't dress in a feminine way.She said she “didn't seem to look gay” so she had avoided the worst of the Island's homophobia. But she recalled a time when she was called “a faggot” for ignoring the sexual advances of a group of guys and telling them she had a girlfriend.Ms Assan said the “first experience of complete acceptance” for many Bermudians is when they go away to school.But Ms Assan insisted she was “not a spokesperson for a cause” saying she had organised the rally via Facebook in “a flash of emotion.”She told the crowd that she had been discriminated against for “sleeping in a bed with another woman” at the Windsong Guest Apartments.She alleges the owner asked about “the presence of a second person in the room” and Ms Assan told her that a friend had been staying, but she was not a permanent guest. Ms Assan alleges that at 10.45am on May 17, the guest house owner announced she had 15 minutes to leave as she was renting the apartment to someone else.She said she then offered full payment for her guest but the guest house owner allegedly said she should “stay with her girlfriend.”Ms Assan said she had been losing sleep since the incident, as she hadn't wanted to wrongfully point the finger at the guest house owner. The guest house has publicly denied she was homophobic.Ms Assan suggested the guest house owner could have acted for financial reasons, adding that this incident demonstrated “the messiness of discrimination where there are no clear offenders or victims.”Ms Assan also took the opportunity to publicly apologise to guest house owner Roslyn Anderson for throwing her into the spotlight with a “she said, she said” situation. Mrs Anderson was quoted in this newspaper as saying: “I have nothing against gay people as long as they don't throw it in my face.”Ms Assan questioned whether gays could hold hands in public or hug one another saying: “What exactly are Bermudians comfortable with and what will they do if we breach their comfort levels?”Ms Assan said the guest house owner's “expression of tolerance” was like saying: “I'm okay with black people as long as they don't come into my neighbourhood and marry my daughter.”Selina Bean also spoke at yesterday's rally, starting her speech by saying: “I am a Bermudian and I am gay.”She said she was “very happy and comfortable” with who she was but she described her acceptance by others as “troubling and painful.”Ms Bean said: “My family and friends love me for who I am, but what upsets me and bothers me the most is that my home does not.”Ms Bean said “she totally understood” why the event was called ‘Home Is Where The Hatred Is' as homosexuals in Bermuda were treated with “chastisement.” She quoted the line from the Jill Scott song: “Home is filled with pain and it might not be a bad idea if I never, never went home again.”Ms Bean added: “I'm not supporting this issue as a gay rights issue, it's a human rights issue. It should be a fundamental right of any Bermudian, no matter what their sexual orientation is.”Sylvia Hayward-Harris, from the Two Words and A Comma organisation, then said they had been raising human rights awareness for five years through public campaigns and behind-the-scenes lobbying.She said: “Two Words and a Comma was set up in 2007. It's now 2011 and Bermuda has still not got legal protection for all citizens.“Discrimination is wrong, this inclusion in the Human Rights Act is urgently needed. Government say they are committed to this happening, but it's time to act on this commitment.”