Despite church opposition, Government backbencher Renee Webb is still confident her bid to outlaw discrimination against homosexuals will pass in the House of Assembly tomorrow.

However the AME church claims her bill to amend the Human Rights Act will open the door to gay marriages and will reduce religious liberty.

The church said Ms Webb?s bid to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation suffered from loose wording.

A statement from Rev. Ruth D. Vanlowe Smith, chairwoman of the Social Action Committee of the Bermuda Annual Conference of the AME Church, said: ?The term sexual orientation can be interpreted to include any and every kind of sexual practice.

?The church believes it is wrong to amend the Act without it being made clear what ?sexual orientation? means. The proposed bill does not give a legal definition.?

Rev. Smith said the AME church supported human rights and had a track record of promoting social justice.

She said reasons for the proposed amendment focused mainly on employment and accommodation concerns.

?The church encourages the government to strengthen existing legislation to address those specific issues and not to support an amendment that will bring across-the-board changes in Bermuda law.

?For example it is not unrealistic to see the marriage act being changed to allow same sex marriages because of arguments that the Act discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation.?

And Rev. Smith claimed hate crime legislation that followed similar Human Rights amendments elsewhere were used against those who disagreed with homosexuality on religious grounds.

?The Bermuda Constitution guarantees the freedom to practice one?s religion and the church opposes any attempt to chip away at religious liberty.

?The church will exercise every means at its disposal to protect rights in general and religious rights in particular.?

Ms Webb told she respected the rights of the church to express its views but she added: ?I will bring in my amendment, with or without the acquiescence of the church. Bermuda is not a theocracy.?

Ms Webb said there was nothing vague about a clause on sexual orientation and that it figured in most human rights laws around the world.

She took issue with the claim it would necessarily lead to gay marriages, pointing out that some countries protected gays from human rights abuses but did not sanction same sex unions.

Ms Webb predicted the bill would go to the House tomorrow and be passed.

?I would expect it to go through. I believe the majority of the MPs are right thinking people. They believe people should be treated equally under the laws of this country.?

It is understood MPs will vote on conscious and not on party lines.

Opposition MP John Barritt said he would be voting in favour but he said he was not so sure it would get the backing of the House. ?I have not done the numbers, but I am not so confident.?

And one parliamentary source said he believed the bill probably would not command the majority support of the Government side of the House.