the campaign to scrap Bermuda's laws against gay sex.

The list includes black civil rights leader James Baldwin, three kings of England, and the Bible figure Jonathan, friend of David in the Old Testament.

It was distributed by gay rights group the Bermuda Human Rights Alliance in a campaign information pack.

The pack is designed to help MPs decide whether to support the Hon. John Stubbs in his proposal to legalise gay sex.

Artists Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Andy Warhol are on the list, along with the composer Tchaikovsky and writers Walt Whitman and Hans Christian Andersen.

So are tennis stars Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King.

"It is well known that there were many `greats' throughout history that were, or are, homosexuals,'' the BHRA says in a letter to MPs. The 17 mentioned are just "a few'', it adds.

The group rejects the view that only one percent of the population is gay. The true figure is around 10 percent, it says.

"Because many gays and lesbians are not openly recognisable or obvious, many believe that our community is small, and politicians who fail to address sexual orientation issues only further serve to perpetuate our invisibility.

"The Bermudian gay and lesbian community, along with all supporters of human rights, are now fighting for equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation.'' The BHRA also aims to correct "myths'' about gay, lesbian and bisexual people. It says: "Lesbian, gay and bisexual people cannot be identified by certain mannerisms or physical characteristics.

"Most lesbian, gay and bisexual people are comfortable with being their biological sex -- they do not regard themselves as members of the opposite sex.

"The majority of child molesters are heterosexual (straight) men.

"Sexual experiences as a child are not necessarily indicative of one's sexual orientation as an adult.

"Homosexuality is not a type of mental illness and cannot be `cured'.

"Lesbian, gay and bisexual people have the same range of sexual activity -- from none to a lot -- as heterosexuals do.

"There is no definable `gay lifestyle'.'' The pack has also been sent to religious leaders.

PROMINENT LESBIAN -- Top tennis player Martina Navratilova.