know and best understand the facts, should be praised for its forthright stand on discrimination against gay people. The Association has said that homosexuals should be given basic human rights and the laws against gay sex must be scrapped. We applaud the stand taken by the Association even though we think they have taken far too long to make their views public. We can only hope that Government accepts the views of the Association as the expert opinion it so often seeks and acts accordingly.

This newspaper has been saying that gays should be given their rights for years now. We have advocated and continue to advocate that Bermuda should not deprive gays of the rights they already have on paper under Bermuda's constitution and according to international agreements to which their Country subscribes. It would appear that this is not a simple case of gays not being given their rights, but rather a case of them being deprived of the rights which they have been given by constitution and convention and to which they are legally entitled.

We could not help noticing that gays were remarkably silent in the weeks before the recent General Election. Perhaps they did not want to add "political football'' to the list of abuses they already suffer. It may be that gays feared the influence of the Right Wing churches on the Progressive Labour Party and hoped that a re-elected United Bermuda Party would look favourably on their cause. This newspaper is concerned that with the election out of the way, the political parties will all go back to status quo which will mean no action or even more repressive steps.

We think that a lack of movement toward gay rights must have left the local gay community close to "the end of their rope'' and we noticed several recent letters to the Editor suggesting forceful action towards gay rights. It should be noted that Bermuda's gays, so far, are only suggesting the private consensual rights other countries have afforded their gays for scores of years.

The gay community will win their rights in the end just as they have won in every other country. It is only a matter of time. Human rights is a Bermudian birthright even if that is not yet clear to some people who call themselves Christian.

A Government which is so concerned about institutionalised racism has no place supporting institutionalised homophobia. It would be a great shame if Bermuda had to face gay civil disobedience but Bermuda may be pushing gays to actions we will all regret. That is not necessary, nor humane, nor sensible, nor Christian.