Activists condemn violence against LGBTQ community in St. Vincent, where gay sex is illegal

By DÁNICA COTO
Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Human Rights Watch has released an in-depth report that details the abuse and discrimination the LGBTQ community says it faces in the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Gay sex is still criminalized there under colonial-era laws that are common in the socially conservative Caribbean region. The laws are rarely invoked, but the rights group says that they help legitimize violence and discrimination against gay people. Hearings have just ended in a case filed in 2019 by two gay men from St. Vincent who are seeking to challenge local laws criminalizing gay sex. A judge is expected to issue a ruling in upcoming months.