people who are wondering what will happen if and when the bill becomes law. We think that Bermudians in general will not notice the slightest difference. The dire predictions of the fanatics who have suggested that Bermuda will become a re-creation of Sodom are just what they seem to be, fanatical.

However, the long House of Assembly debate did indicate that Bermuda has some severe problems. It suffers from geriatric thinking even on the part of some younger members of the House like Mr. Tim Smith. Bermuda also has some House members on both political sides who are simply not mentally equipped to adequately represent the people. That must cause serious concern for Bermuda's future.

It was good, however, to hear a bill debated as a matter of conscience because it reduced the constant partisan heckling which members engage in. With the notable exception of the Hon. C.V. Woolridge, who clearly did not understand the situation and continued to interrupt, the behaviour in the House was what Bermudians would like to see on a regular basis.

The most surprising thing about the passage of the gay rights bill was the fact that in 1994 Bermuda still has 16 homophobic members of Parliament.

Homophobia is a serious social problem in any society. The second surprise was that the Premier and some of his Cabinet do not believe in human rights for all Bermudians. The Human Rights Commission should be considering that fact.

Some of the people voting against human rights for gays were the very people who are most in favour of Independence, like the Premier and the Hon. Maxwell Burgess. They fail to understand that an independent Bermuda would be shunned by the international community if it did not have the very human rights they voted against. Of course, there is growing thinking that the Premier voted against the Hon. John Stubbs on the basis that if he could not have his Independence toys, Dr. Stubbs was not to have any toys either.

It was also very clear from the vote that a few members of the House suffer badly from denial. That is another matter for their conscience.

So many members of the Progressive Labour Party voted against the bill that the impression was given, once again, that the PLP is anything but progressive. Despite that, the most impassioned speeches in favour of human rights were made by PLP Leader Mr. Frederick Wade and former leader Mrs. Lois Browne Evans. It was one of Mr. Wade's finest moments and Mrs. Browne Evans demonstrated that she can be the conscience of the House. Despite the free vote, it was difficult to believe from the debate that Mr. Wade and Mrs.

Browne Evans belong to the same party as Mr. Nelson Bascombe, Mr. Eugene Cox and the incomprehensible Mr. Stanley Morton. Poor Rev. Trevor Woolridge was put to speaking his conscience in favour of the bill and then voting against, presumably so instructed by his church. Will his church dictate all his votes? It would seem to us that the Hon. Wayne Furbert's position as Minister of Community Affairs may now be untenable. The same, of course, is true of Mr.

Nelson Bascombe's situation as Shadow Minister of Health. Yet the Hon. Pamela Gordon's spectacularly delivered early morning speech, Mr. Richard's Spurling's thoughtful and very sensible speech and Dr. Ewart Brown's passionate plea for human rights must mark the new MPs as future stars.

This was a very important vote which came some 30 years late. That fact makes it all the more important. It says that in 1994 Bermuda is finally moving into the second half of the Twentieth Century. Now there are some prominent people who need to do the same.