In a historic decision that has sent ripples across the globe, Saint Lucia’s High Court has overturned two colonial-era laws criminalising consensual same-sex relations, marking a pivotal moment for LGBTQ+ rights in the Eastern Caribbean—and offering a beacon of hope for LGBTQ+ communities still facing persecution, including in Uganda.
On July 29, 2025, the court struck down Sections 132 and 133 of Saint Lucia’s Criminal Code, which penalised “gross indecency” and “buggery” with up to ten years in prison. Though rarely enforced in recent years, these laws cast a long shadow, fuelling discrimination, stigma, and fear among LGBTQ+ individuals.
The ruling declared these provisions unconstitutional, violating basic rights to privacy, liberty, and freedom from discrimination. The case was brought by the Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE) and supported by a network of local and international human rights organisations, including OutRight International and Human Dignity Trust.
Saint Lucia now joins Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Dominica in dismantling similar laws—part of a growing regional movement to repeal colonial anti-LGBTQ+ statutes imposed during British rule.
For LGBTQ+ Ugandans, who continue to face some of the harshest anti-gay legislation in the world, this ruling underscores the possibility of change even in deeply conservative societies. Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023, which introduced draconian penalties including the death sentence for certain same-sex acts, sparked international outrage and has intensified fear and violence against LGBTQ+ people in the country.
While Uganda’s legal and political climate remains hostile, the Saint Lucia victory shows that legal systems rooted in colonial traditions can evolve to embrace equality and human dignity. It also highlights the critical role of regional coalitions, courageous plaintiffs, and persistent advocacy in challenging oppressive laws.
“This ruling is a monumental step forward,” said Kenita Placide, Executive Director of ECADE. “It not only affirms the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ Saint Lucians, but also sends a message of hope and justice to the entire region.”
For LGBTQ+ Ugandans, that message is powerful: change is possible. Even in nations where social attitudes and legal codes seem immovable, stories like Saint Lucia’s prove that courts can be compelled to uphold the principles of human rights over inherited prejudice.
Rights groups are now calling on governments across the Caribbean—and in Africa—to go further by enacting anti-discrimination laws, launching public education campaigns, and legally recognising LGBTQ+ relationships.
While Uganda continues to criminalise same-sex intimacy, and public discourse remains fraught with homophobia, international and regional legal victories like Saint Lucia’s can help shift narratives. They reinforce the reality that LGBTQ+ rights are human rights, and that unjust laws—no matter how old or deeply entrenched—can be struck down.
As one Saint Lucian activist said following the court’s decision: “We’re finally seeing the law recognise what we’ve always known—that love is not a crime.”
For Uganda’s LGBTQ+ community, these words echo with longing, but also with possibility.
