The Social Democratic Prime Minister Mia Mottley (57) supports abolishing the homophobic law.

DLNews Staff:

It's another important step toward equality ...

On Monday, Barbados' Supreme Court struck down a ban on 'same-sex' sex as unconstitutional. The High Court of the island of 300,000 people in the eastern Caribbean initially announced its ruling only orally. A written and detailed statement will be announced in January 2023.

Although the law, which dates back to British colonial times, was rarely used, the queer community of the independent state within the Commonwealth continued to feel harassed by it. Human rights activists criticized the law, saying gays and lesbians, as well as transgender people, were being sweepingly relegated to second-class citizens.

For example, they said, the anti-LGBTQ law has been used as an excuse to discriminate against gays and lesbians in jobs or access to services. It also justifies violence against this group of people.

Téa Braun of the LGBTQ organization, Human Dignity Trust, told the AP news agency: "The decision makes it clear to the entire population that people's private relationships are none of the lawmakers' business."

The organization makes the point on Twitter that Barbados was "one of only seven countries left in the Western Hemisphere" that criminalized homosexuality.

Barbados' government can still appeal the ruling. However, Social Democratic Prime Minister Mia Mottley, considered an ally of the LGBTQ community, has previously spoken in favor of legalizing same-sex relationships.

The supreme court's decision continues an LGBT-friendly trend in Caribbean countries. After all, this year, St. Kitts, Nevis, Antigua, and Barbuda have abolished their anti-gay laws. However, other states, such as Jamaica, maintain their anti-gay legislation.