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The Star
01-08-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Caribbean activists celebrate as Saint Lucia strikes down gay sex ban
CASTRIES, Saint Lucia (Reuters) -Caribbean gay rights activists celebrated a landmark court ruling this week striking down colonial-era legislation in the island nation of Saint Lucia that criminalized gay sexual relations and imposed prison terms of up to a decade. The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court issued the decision on Tuesday in the case brought by LGBTQ rights alliance ECADE on behalf of a gay couple. The court ruled that sections of the criminal code that outlawed "buggery" and "gross indecency" were unconstitutional. "Our own courts are now recognizing that these colonial-era laws are incompatible with human dignity," Dane Lewis, regional program manager at rights group CariFLAGS, said. Many Caribbean countries still have laws forbidding intimacy between people of the same sex, a legacy of British colonial-era statutes. Though rarely enforced, activists say these cement widespread institutional biases and discrimination. Jessica St. Rose, founder of local rights group 758Pride, said the ruling marked a "momentous legal change." "It sends a clear message that love is not a crime," she said, though Saint Lucia still needs reforms to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination and threats to their safety. Saint Lucian politicians were mostly silent about the decision publicly, including Prime Minister Philip Pierre who made a national address ahead of Friday's Emancipation Day. In nearby Guyana, where "buggery" is a felony subject to a lifetime behind bars, rights group Guyana Together welcomed that another country in the CARICOM regional bloc had "dismantled these archaic laws." More than 60 countries worldwide criminalize gay sex, many former British colonies across Africa and the Caribbean. There was some criticism on social media from Saint Lucia residents of the decision, some citing Christian scripture and calling the ruling a sin. "We do expect the religious society to come out to speak out against the recent ruling," St. Rose said. Bradley Desir, a gay man from Saint Lucia who moved to Canada in 2016, said he was encouraged by signs of change and would feel safer visiting the island though he would still maintain his guard. "I hope they carry on with the discussion and possibly call for the legalization of (gay) marriage," he said, adding he did not expect this in his lifetime. The growing visibility of LGBTQ people through global media was a positive sign, he added: "Kids today are growing up in a different world." (Reporting by Sarah Peter in Castries; Editing by Sarah Morland and Cynthia Osterman)
Straits Times
01-08-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Caribbean activists celebrate as Saint Lucia strikes down gay sex ban
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox CASTRIES, Saint Lucia - Caribbean gay rights activists celebrated a landmark court ruling this week striking down colonial-era legislation in the island nation of Saint Lucia that criminalized gay sexual relations and imposed prison terms of up to a decade. The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court issued the decision on Tuesday in the case brought by LGBTQ rights alliance ECADE on behalf of a gay couple. The court ruled that sections of the criminal code that outlawed "buggery" and "gross indecency" were unconstitutional. "Our own courts are now recognizing that these colonial-era laws are incompatible with human dignity," Dane Lewis, regional program manager at rights group CariFLAGS, said. Many Caribbean countries still have laws forbidding intimacy between people of the same sex, a legacy of British colonial-era statutes. Though rarely enforced, activists say these cement widespread institutional biases and discrimination. Jessica St. Rose, founder of local rights group 758Pride, said the ruling marked a "momentous legal change." "It sends a clear message that love is not a crime," she said, though Saint Lucia still needs reforms to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination and threats to their safety. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Tech Reporting suspected advanced cyber attacks will provide a defence framework: Shanmugam Business Singapore's US tariff rate stays at 10%, but the Republic is not out of the woods yet Asia Asia-Pacific economies welcome new US tariff rates, but concerns over extent of full impact remain Business ST explains: How Trump tariffs could affect Singapore SMEs, jobs and markets Asia Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupts Singapore Thundery showers expected on most days in first half of August Singapore Synapxe chief executive, MND deputy secretary to become new perm secs on Sept 1 Singapore 5 women face capital charges after they were allegedly found with nearly 27kg of cocaine in S'pore Saint Lucian politicians were mostly silent about the decision publicly, including Prime Minister Philip Pierre who made a national address ahead of Friday's Emancipation Day. In nearby Guyana, where "buggery" is a felony subject to a lifetime behind bars, rights group Guyana Together welcomed that another country in the CARICOM regional bloc had "dismantled these archaic laws." More than 60 countries worldwide criminalize gay sex, many former British colonies across Africa and the Caribbean. There was some criticism on social media from Saint Lucia residents of the decision, some citing Christian scripture and calling the ruling a sin. "We do expect the religious society to come out to speak out against the recent ruling," St. Rose said. Bradley Desir, a gay man from Saint Lucia who moved to Canada in 2016, said he was encouraged by signs of change and would feel safer visiting the island though he would still maintain his guard. "I hope they carry on with the discussion and possibly call for the legalization of (gay) marriage," he said, adding he did not expect this in his lifetime. The growing visibility of LGBTQ people through global media was a positive sign, he added: "Kids today are growing up in a different world." REUTERS
NBC News
30-07-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Saint Lucia court strikes down laws punishing gay sex, rights groups say
CASTRIES — A Saint Lucia court on Tuesday struck down laws that had criminalized same-sex relations in the Caribbean island nation with up to a decade behind bars, local LGBTQ rights organizations in the region said on Tuesday. A ruling from the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, headquartered in Saint Lucia's capital Castries, said two sections of the country's criminal code that banned 'gross indecency' and 'buggery' were unconstitutional, according to rights groups. The Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality, a network of local rights groups, said the decision marked a fourth major victory in a regional challenge, following similar a wave of similar legal changes in 2022. 'ECADE celebrates this historic win affirming the dignity of LGBTQ+ people in Saint Lucia,' it said in a post on X. The Caribbean nations of Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Kitts and Nevis all struck down similar laws prohibiting gay sex in 2022, and Dominica also decriminalized same-sex acts last year. Though Trinidad and Tobago was among the first Eastern Caribbean nations to decriminalize gay sex in 2018, it reversed this decision in March of this year. Much of the region still imposes lengthy prison sentences.
