The Save our Bahamas Committee yesterday announced the launch of its Vote No campaign against the gender equality bills being put before voters at the June 7 referendum.

The Save our Bahamas Committee successfully led the Vote No campaign against the expansion of gambling and the introduction of a national lottery in the 2013 referendum.

The committee said that this time the objective is to ensure the defeat of Bill No. 4, which seeks to provide constitutional protection from discrimination based on sex.

“We are convinced that given the precedent set in other nations, Bill No. 4 will open the door to legalising same sex marriage in The Bahamas,” the committee said in a statement.

“This view is reinforced by the refusal of the government to amend the Constitution of The Bahamas to define marriage as a union between a born male and a born female only.

“This is what the people of The Bahamas have asked for, but once again, rather than favorably responding to the expressed will of the Bahamian people, the government has turned a deaf ear.”

Last Sunday, the government announced the launch of the Vote Yes campaign in an effort to rally up support for the passage of the bills by voters.

Save our Bahamas said that it intends to write the prime minister this week to request that it be given a minimum of $100,000 as seed money to fund the Vote No campaign.

There are four bills that voters will decide on but bill no. 4 has been the most contentious as there continues to be speculation that it will open the door to same sex marriage.

Prime Minister Perry Christie has repeatedly stated that marriage will remain a union between a man and a woman.

Save our Bahamas will host a Pastors’ Forum this Thursday at 9:15am at Evangelistic Temple on Collins Avenue.

The group will also hold a prayer meeting in Rawson Square each Monday at 7:30p.m.