The High Court in Barbados ruled on Monday to strike down gross indecency laws criminalizing buggery. The laws date back to Colonial times. Although the specific legislation does not specify gender, it was overwhelmingly used to criminalize gay men in the past.
Barbados, a tourist hot spot, becomes the third Caribbean nation this year to repeal such laws. Both Antigua & Barbuda, and St. Kitts and Nevis ruled similar laws unconstitutional earlier in 2022.
This shift in legal status is giving hope to advocates in other Caribbean nations.
“It’s gone from a certain ripple effect to a tidal wave in the Caribbean, which is what everyone involved set out to achieve,” said Téa Braun, chief executive of the London-based Human Dignity Trust, told Associated Press.
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Related: Barbados welcomes gay couples to apply for visa to work remotely from the island
Where is it still illegal to be gay?
Worldwide, 67 nations still criminalize homosexuality, down from 80 a decade ago. In the Caribbean, this includes Guyana, Grenada, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Jamaica.
Others organizations to welcome the decision was UNAIDS.
“This historic decision is a significant step towards protecting the human rights and dignity of LGBT people in Barbados,” said Luisa Cabal, UNAIDS Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean in a statement.
“It will also strengthen the country’s HIV response by helping to reduce stigma and discrimination faced by LGBT people and increasing the uptake of HIV testing, treatment and prevention services.”
Kenita Placide, executive director for the Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE), said, “Access to justice is never easy for LGBTIQ persons. We see this historic win in Barbados as a stepping stone to acknowledge and render justice to vulnerable people who are not necessarily acknowledged by the law.”
The Barbados High Court issued an oral ruling on Monday, with a written ruling to follow in January.
Stefano
Very good news. Let’s hope that the rest of the countries and other territories in the Caribbean will do the same.
Kangol2
It’s the former British colonies that have harsh anti-gay laws, because Britain extended that hatefulness all over the globe. Most former colonies of other European countries, like Spain (Dominican Republic), France (Haiti), the Netherlands (Netherlands Antilles, etc.) and overseas departments of France (Guadeloupe, etc.) do not have laws criminalizing same-sex people or sex acts. The last few countries where it’s illegal (Jamaica, Guyana, St. Vincent & Grenadines, etc.) were all British colonies.
Kangol2
Excellent news to hear about Barbados, a beautiful country. They were already somewhat relaxed about LGBTQ folks depending on where you visited. Now the last few former British colonies ought to follow their and Trinidad’s/St. Kitts and Nevis’s etc. leads and abolish those horrible Victorian-era anti-gay laws.
Stefano
@stefano : Damn Spell checker ! First Nations not Aboriginals! Lol
Stefano
@Kangol2: Indeed, I am aware of it. Thank you for reminding us! And, unfortunately, in many countries, far from closing, the scars of the Empire are still raw. Decolonization will take a long time but at least it has begun!