U.K. colonial
governor of Bermuda pushes for gay rights

The United Kingdom's man in Bermuda, John Vereker, has been quietly attempting to sway opponents in the island nation's parliament toward legislation to protect the rights of gays. Lawmakers soundly defeated a bill in May that would have included gays and lesbians in the U.K. colony's human rights law. The vote sparked a protest at the legislature by some 300 demonstrators who criticized the parliament for not even debating the proposal. Progressive Labor Party backbencher Renee Webb, who proposed the bill, said she will attempt to bring back a new version of the measure. Legally, Vereker, as colonial governor, cannot directly intervene, but he told a local newspaper that "the U.K. expects of the Overseas Territories [to uphold] the same standard of human rights that British citizens enjoy in the U.K." Vereker said he suggested that a revised bill should be worded "generally" and not name specific groups. While his compromise might win the support of the government, Webb says she has no intention of "watering down" her bill. (Sirius OutQ News)