New laws to protect gays from discrimination indicate Government is willing to take a serious look at protecting homosexuals from discrimination, according to the spokesperson of a local gay rights group.

Nicky Bowers, spokesperson for the Bermuda Rainbow Alliance welcomed news that Community and Cultural Affairs Minister Dale Butler planned to make changes to the Human Rights Act to end discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Ms Bowers told this week that gays want protection under the Human Rights Act if they are fired from a job or evicted from their department on the basis of sexual orientation.

?Just being included in that way under the human rights act adds value to people?s lives as well as having the power to change how gay people in this community live,? she said.

Mr. Butler said the changes should allow members of the community to be more vocal about their concerns.

?The changes will take us out of the dark ages and create an awareness about living openly rather than hiding these things in the closet,? said Mr. Butler.

He also described personally being subject to speculative comments about his own sexual preferences from members of the public.

?If I am seen talking to someone or I move my hands a lot when I talk you get these silly little questions,? he said. ?No one should be discriminated against because of their orientation, just because they live with a man or a woman. People should not feel demeaned or hurt because of their orientation.?

Roderick Burchall, deputy chairman of the Human Rights Commission, told that the commission deals with gay issues no differently than other human rights issues.

?It?s not just one people?s set of rights we are concerned with protecting, we?re interested in protecting the rights of all people.?

There needs to be a discussion on the rights of all people, not just gay issues,? he added.

Mr. Burchall said issues of concern to the gay community were dealt with no differently than other reported cases of discrimination. He has dealt with several reported cases during his three-year tenure with the commission, he said.

Bermudian Michael Parsons, who is gay and has been in a committed five year relationship, spoke openly about living as a gay person in Bermuda.

He said gay people are entitled to protection as any other minority along the same lines as gender, race, or religion, and recalls a sign posted in Hamilton last summer reading ?God Kills Gays?.

Homosexuals who live openly are still subject to catcalls of ?faggot? when they walk down the street and regularly endure taunting and speculation about their lifestyle from other members of the community.

?We?ve been pushing this with the Human Rights Commission for two years,? he said. ?Gays are like any other minority trying to gain acceptance. If sexual orientation is not included in the Act how can people feel safe knowing that there is no protection for people on the Island on the basis of sexual orientation??

The Rainbow Alliance has challenged Mr. Butler in the past to change the Human Rights Act after presenting evidence of discrimination against them.

The changes to the Act will be the first step taken to protect gays since 1994, when the Stubbs Bill decriminalised homosexuality.