The Bermuda Rainbow Alliance is celebrating Government?s decision to amend the Human Rights Act to prohibit discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. A human rights and gay support group formed specifically to pursue the sexual orientation amendment, the Alliance has been campaigning publicly and privately for the amendment for the past three years.

And, while it is strictly not a ?gay rights? issue ? straight people will be protected from discrimination as well ? the amendment is of greater immediate significance to members of the gay community who are more likely to suffer discrimination based on their orientation.

Alliance head Nikki Bowers said yesterday that she wept when she read the news in Monday?s paper. ?I wept this morning when I read the headline ?Gays to get human rights protection?. This is an important first step by the government of Bermuda that indicates that they recognize gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered Bermudians as citizens deserving of the same rights as the dominant population,? she said.

?Contrary to popular opinion this is an issue of equal rights, not special rights.

?Presently, we experience job and housing insecurity as we can be fired or evicted because of our real (or perceived) sexual orientation, without recourse.?

She praised Community Affairs Minister Dale Butler, who has committed to bringing the amendment to the House later during the new parliamentary year, as a ?man of integrity?.

?I recognise that he has risked isolating some conservative Christian voters and even members of his own Party by doing so,? she said. ?I urge Bermudians who believe in equal rights for all of their brothers and sisters to contact Mr. Butler and express their appreciation of his good work.?

Bermuda will be joining numerous other countries once the law is passed, she continued. ?After the Human Rights Act is successfully amended we will join the company of such countries as England, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Wales and Uruguay. We would like to think, as Bermudians, that we are progressive and affluent people able to compete and flourish in every way.?

Ms Bowers added that the move ?is a golden opportunity for us to lead the way for the Caribbean and liberate us from a tradition of suspicion and insecurity. No one is protected under the Human Rights Act unless we are all protected.?

Ms Bowers said the Alliance had come across dozens of instances of discrimination against gay people. ?One of the mandates of the Human Rights Commission is education and once it?s passed we need to hold them to that,? she said. Former chairman of the Human Rights Commission Rev. Goodwin Smith said he could not comment until he had spoken to Mr. Butler about the development.

Other human rights law changes to be made include broadening the definition of disability, another prohibited ground of discrimination, to include obesity, learning disabilities and mental illness.

The sexual orientation amendment will make it illegal to deny someone housing or employment, based on whether they are gay or straight. The Human Rights Act already prohibits discrimination on the grounds of gender, religion, race, disability and political beliefs, in the areas of employment, housing and provision of certain services.