FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 16th, 2025
Bridgetown, Barbados – It is with profound pride and joy that Life In Leggings: Caribbean Alliance Against Gender-based Violence celebrates this historic victory for LGBTQ+ rights in the Caribbean.
On July 29, 2025, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court struck down St. Lucia’s colonial-era “buggery” and “gross indecency” laws, declaring them unconstitutional. This landmark ruling marks a powerful step toward building a more inclusive, equitable, and gender-just Caribbean.
This decision would not have been possible without the immense courage and conviction of the petitioners, legal teams, and grassroots advocates who dared to challenge these discriminatory laws. We especially recognize and honour the tireless work of the Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE) and United and Strong Inc., whose leadership and unwavering commitment to justice made this victory possible.
For decades, LGBTQ+ people in St. Lucia have lived under the shadow of Sections 132 and 133 of the Criminal Code, which punished same-sex intimacy with prison sentences of up to 10 years. Though rarely enforced, these laws legitimised stigma and violence, fuelling societal rejection and placing lives at risk. Their repeal is not merely symbolic — it is life-saving.
The ruling by Honourable Justice Francis Innocent affirms what Caribbean LGBTQ+ activists have long known: these laws are unconstitutional, unjust, and incompatible with the values of human dignity and equality. St. Lucia now joins Belize, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Saint Kitts and Nevis as the latest Caribbean nation to strike down similar laws, reflecting a growing regional movement for freedom and equality.
This ruling sends a clear message: no one should be criminalised for who they love.
As a regional movement for gender justice, Life In Leggings stands in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community in St. Lucia and across the Caribbean. We urge all remaining Caribbean governments to follow St. Lucia’s example and uphold the promise of human rights for all.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that all people are born free and equal in dignity and rights. To ignore, undervalue, or refuse to protect a community is to authorise its victimisation. For too long, these laws sent the message that LGBTQ+ lives were unworthy of protection and that the discrimination they faced was justified. That must end.
Our shared future depends on the collective will to protect every person — regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or belief.
Media Contact:
Executive Committee
Life In Leggings: Caribbean Alliance Against Gender-based Violence
Email: info@lifeinleggings.org
Website: www.lifeinleggings.org
Phone: +1 (246) 830-9574
Life In Leggings: Caribbean Alliance Against Gender-based Violence 