Barbados just took a big step toward LGBTQ+ equality

LGBT flag map of Barbados
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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.

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…

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