Barbados’ high court has overturned a law that criminalized gay sex, a victory for LGBTQ+ residents and activists.
On Monday, the high court struck down the strict laws that have plagued the gay community for years. Though rarely enforced, these set of statutes singled out anyone engaging in same-sex relations, having them viewed as being less than and even criminals. In 2018, a Human Rights Watch report confirmed multiple instances of discrimination and prejudice against LGBTQ+ people in seven Eastern Caribbean island nations that criminalize same-sex relations.
Barbados is now the third Eastern Caribbean country this year to get rid of such discriminatory legal conditions. In 1992, Barbados’ Sexual Offences Act was implemented, allowing between 10 years and life imprisonment for anyone engaging in same-sex intercourse. Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Kitts and Nevis did away with similar laws months ago.
The ruling in Barbados arrived after immense efforts by human rights groups such as the Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality, which challenged anti-LGBT legislation. While the move is a win for equal rights, there is still a long way to go as far as completely decriminalizing same-sex relations in the Caribbean. Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines still have versions of these laws known as “buggery” and “serious indecency.”
Téa Braun, chief executive of the Human Dignity Trust, who advocated for the law’s repeal, celebrated the win but reiterated that there was more work to be done.
“The dismantling of these laws is the first major step, but not the last step,” Braun stated.
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