Caribbean LGBTQ+ activists celebrate as court strikes down colonial-era laws

Source: Caribbean LGBTQ+ activists celebrate as court strikes down colonial-era laws

‘Stride in the right direction’ as Eastern Caribbean supreme court rules St Lucia’s laws on gay sex unconstitutional

Natricia Duncan and agencies
Fri 1 Aug 2025 11.00 BST

Activists have hailed a historic judgment striking down colonial-era laws that criminalised gay sex in St Lucia as a step forward for LGBTQ+ rights in the Caribbean country.

This week the Eastern Caribbean supreme court found that the island’s so-called buggery and gross indecency laws, which criminalised consensual anal sex, were unconstitutional.

In a joint statement to the Guardian, a group of activists who were the claimants in the case described the judgment as “deeply personal” but added that there was “still work to be done”.

“We know not everyone will agree with the ruling – and that’s OK. We’re not asking anyone to change their beliefs. What we are asking for is fairness. These laws were outdated and violated the basic human rights of LGBTQ+ people. Striking them down is just the beginning of creating a safer, more inclusive Saint Lucia for all of us,” the statement said.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/01/caribbean-lgbtq-activists-celebrate-as-court-strikes-down-colonial-era-laws