A controversial law that was on the books but usually not enforced in St. Vincent and the Grenadines has been confirmed by the country’s top court today.
Chances it will be enforced sending members of the LGBTQ community of the island including visitors to prison for 10 years just became a real possibility. This may also pose a danger for tourists from the LGBTQ community visiting this otherwise very beautiful and peaceful Caribbean Island Nation.
Cays are not Gays
St. Vincent and the Grenadine’s slogan on its Tourism Board site is One Destination, 32 Islands and Cays, countless possibilities. It’s important not to mistake “Cays” for “Gays”, because this may send the wrong message.
A St. Vincent and Grenadines gay couple resides in exile but challenged this law in the Island Nations court system in 2019. This case was just decided by the country’s highest court.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is an independent country
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is an independent island nation, a member of the United Nations, but not a member of UN Tourism. The country is located in the southern Caribbean. It consists of a main island called St. Vincent and a series of smaller islands.
The country is famous for its beautiful harbors filled with yachts, exclusive private islands, and volcanic terrain. It is particularly renowned as a top destination for sailing, with Bequia Island, characterized by stunning reefs and situated near Admiralty Bay, and pristine white-sand beaches like Princess Margaret. The capital city, Kingstown, is located on the main island.
St Vincent and the Grenadines as a tourism destination is largely undiscovered. Its first all-inclusive Sandals Resort is about to open its doors on March 27, but those Sandals invites to escape a hectic lifestyle better not include gay couples.
For them, St. Vincent could become a dangerous travel destination.
I love the Caribbean Islands
This is a contrast from the heartfelt words of St.Vincent and Grenadine’s Prime Minister Ralph Everard Gonsalves in April 2021 when he said: “I regret I was in tears when I think about the goodness of the heart of our brothers and sisters and the Caribbean. I love the Caribbean islands.” Apparently, the PM did not think about all St. Vincent and Grenadines citizens when he presented his words.
The PM spoke in response when neighboring island nations agreed to take in refugees from Saint Vincent after a volcano erupted on their island.
According to an AP report published today, laws prohibiting homosexual activity were affirmed by a top court in St Vincent and the Grenadines on Friday, dealing a setback to advocates who have consistently protested against the mistreatment endured by the LGBTQ+ community in this traditional Caribbean archipelago.
St Vincent’s High Court rendered a verdict about a lawsuit initiated by two St Vincent gay individuals residing outside the country. The objective of their case was to challenge outdated laws from the colonial era that impose a 10-year prison sentence for engaging in anal intercourse and a five-year sentence for engaging in gross indecency with a person of the same sex.
Homosexuality is illegal in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Section 148 of the Criminal Code states that:
“Any person, who in public or private, commits an act of gross indecency with another person of the same sex, or procures or attempts to procure another person of the same sex to commit an act of gross indecency with him or her, is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for five years.”
— Section 148 of the Criminal Code
Section 146 of the 1990 Criminal Code states that:
“Any person who commits buggery with any other person; commits buggery with an animal; or permits any person to commit buggery with him or her; is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for ten years”.
— Section 146 of the 1990 Criminal Code
