Several Christian churches and organizations across the Caribbean have opposed the abolition of such laws, with support from some political leaders who invoke God in their arguments.
Braun said there are now only six remaining countries in the Americas with similar laws, including Guyana, Grenada, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Jamaica, where members of the LGBTQ community have fled following violent attacks. A case in St. Lucia is pending. Earlier this year, Caribbean courts have found such laws in Antigua & Barbuda and St. Kitts and Nevis unconstitutional.
Worldwide, 67 jurisdictions criminalize private, consensual same-sex activities, down from more than 80 a decade ago, Braun said. The Barbados High Court issued only an oral ruling saying it found such laws unconstitutional, and won’t release a written judgment detailing its reasons until late January. It wasn’t immediately clear if the government planned to appeal. Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley is considered an ally of the LGBTQ community and once called for abolishing the laws when she was the island’s attorney general.
“The striking down of these laws doesn’t solve all problems of course,” Braun said, noting that the LGBTQ community still faces violence and discrimination. “The dismantling of these laws is the first major step, but not the last step.”