Saint Lucia court strikes down laws punishing gay sex, rights groups say

Audio By Carbonatix

CASTRIES (Reuters) -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 LGBT 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.

Though enforcement of these laws is rare, activists say they worsen widespread stigmas, harassment and abuse.

(Reporting by Sarah Peter; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Kylie Madry)