An independent umbrella of human rights organisations operating in the small islands of the eastern Caribbean has concluded that LGBTQ Vincentians face greater vulnerability following the High Court ruling on a same sex case last week Friday February, 16,2024. The Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE) said in a statement issued from Saint Lucia, that the High Court’s extraordinary ruling undermines the rights of LGBTQ+ people in St …
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines face bias-motivated violence and discrimination in their daily life, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The legislature should repeal the country’s colonial-era laws that criminalize consensual same-sex conduct and pass comprehensive civil legislation prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The 58-page report, “‘They Can Harass Us Because of the Laws’: Violence and Discrimination against LGBT People in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,” exposes the physical and verbal assaults, family violence, homelessness, workplace harassment, bullying, and sexual violence that sexual and gender minorities face under the shadow of discriminatory laws. Those responsible for mistreatment include people close to LGBT people – family members, neighbors, coworkers, classmates, and teachers – as well as strangers and police officers.