{"id":245065,"date":"2025-07-30T15:52:03","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T19:52:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=245065"},"modified":"2025-07-30T16:08:49","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T20:08:49","slug":"eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/","title":{"rendered":"Eastern Caribbean Hope Renewed with Saint Lucia LGBTQ+ Victory\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"antig-2045599244\" class=\"antig-ecab antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div><div id=\"antig-2533200251\" class=\"antig-before-content antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/medicalbenefitsscheme\" aria-label=\"ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1200\/h:400\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1200\/h:400\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:341\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1200\" height=\"400\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029VaFMdgE6mYPT8QGXjA0A\"><strong><em>CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT\u2019S APP GROUP<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p><div id=\"antig-3957863875\" class=\"antig-content_5 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ablpag\" aria-label=\"ABLP_Red-&#038;-Reddy_Web_1000x250\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_Red-Reddy_Web_1000x250.png\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_Red-Reddy_Web_1000x250.png 1000w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:75\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_Red-Reddy_Web_1000x250.png 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:192\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_Red-Reddy_Web_1000x250.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1000\" height=\"250\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em> <\/em><\/strong>In a monumental step for human rights in the Eastern Caribbean, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court has declared sections 132 and 133 of the Criminal Code criminalizing buggery and gross indecency are inconsistent with various Constitutional rights protected under the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of Saint Lucia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> The Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE) alongside United and Strong, welcome this historic ruling. <\/p><div id=\"antig-1311344737\" class=\"antig-content_4 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div><div id=\"antig-3836559894\" class=\"antig-content_12 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ablpag\" aria-label=\"ABLP_Red-&#038;-Reddy_Web_1000x250\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_Red-Reddy_Web_1000x250.png\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_Red-Reddy_Web_1000x250.png 1000w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:75\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_Red-Reddy_Web_1000x250.png 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:192\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_Red-Reddy_Web_1000x250.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1000\" height=\"250\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>It comes as a beacon of hope amid recent setbacks, such as disappointments in St. Vincent and the Grenadines as well as Trinidad and Tobago, that have tested our region&#8217;s commitment to equality.\u00a0<\/p><div id=\"antig-1890302785\" class=\"antig-content antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.antiguabarbudaculinarymonth.com\/\" aria-label=\"culinary\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:843\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:843\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:132\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:450\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:337\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1536\/h:675\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:842\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1124\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The decision of the Honourable Justice Innocent declared that sections 132 and 133 of the Criminal Code of Saint Lucia criminalizing consensual same sex intimacy in private contravene the rights to protection of the law, privacy, life, liberty, security of the person, freedom of expression, and protection from discrimination on the basis of sex (interpreted to include sexual orientation). Thereby affirming that such colonial-era laws are incompatible with modern democratic principles and human dignity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the fourth major decision in a regional, five-country legal challenge led by ECADE since 2020, following similar rulings in Antigua and Barbuda (June 2022), Saint Kitts and Nevis (August 2022) and Barbados (December 2022).&nbsp;<\/p><div id=\"antig-677906824\" class=\"antig-content_2 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courts.com\/antigua\/\" aria-label=\"500X500 (1)\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:500\/h:500\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:500\/h:500\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:150\/h:150\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite infrequent enforcement, these outdated laws have long fueled stigma, discrimination and violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> The court declaring these provisions unconstitutional and ordering that the law be read in a way that removes discriminatory language and recognises the rights of all consenting adults, regardless of gender, affirms the dignity and humanity of LGBTQ+ individuals in Saint Lucia.\u00a0<\/p><div id=\"antig-2012024192\" class=\"antig-content_3 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chtamarketplace.com\/\" aria-label=\"Social FaceBook Cover Desk_Mobile\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:711\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Social-FaceBook-Cover-Desk_Mobile-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:711\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Social-FaceBook-Cover-Desk_Mobile-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:111\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Social-FaceBook-Cover-Desk_Mobile-scaled.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:379\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Social-FaceBook-Cover-Desk_Mobile-scaled.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:285\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Social-FaceBook-Cover-Desk_Mobile-scaled.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1536\/h:569\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Social-FaceBook-Cover-Desk_Mobile-scaled.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:711\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Social-FaceBook-Cover-Desk_Mobile-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"2560\" height=\"949\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Kenita Placide, Executive Director of ECADE and long-time LGBTQ+ advocate in Saint Lucia, hailed the decision;&nbsp;<\/p><div id=\"antig-3270593755\" class=\"antig-content_6 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis decision is deeply personal. For many years we\u2019ve worked to see the rights, lives and dignity of LGBTQ+ persons in Saint Lucia and the OECS protected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today\u2019s ruling is not just a win in the courts, it also represents a step towards justice for the many lives lost to violence simply for being themselves. It signals that our Caribbean can and must be a place where all people are free and equal under the law.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"124\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXeX00yc6DEzjnhPW5b8w-s705RoBI_uJhiCytziTMGd-Tsz9EZaLn2ar78c9Gx2oXmrchvgQCNTvCc0RxY6GstnBSVmsV9RJL6DBwdHyQsr4ZdBshyxwGprenEm4qdP9ntcka7WvA?key=lJf_-VgIqZKc2QIOX5xIHQ\">ECADE commends the bravery of the claimants and the legal team, led by Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes, and Attorney-at-Law Veronica Cenac.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> This case marks another turning point in a growing movement across the Caribbean to repeal discriminatory laws and affirm LGBTQ+ rights. This judgment affirms what we have always known: that LGBTQ+ Saint Lucians deserve to live without fear of criminalisation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>ECADE remains steadfast in its commitment across an intersection of issues to advancing justice, equality, and dignity for all LGBTQ+ people and other vulnerable groups in the Eastern Caribbean and beyond.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2013 ENDS \u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029VaFMdgE6mYPT8QGXjA0A\"><strong><em>CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT\u2019S APP <\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029VaFMdgE6mYPT8QGXjA0A\"><strong><em>CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT\u2019S APP GROUP<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029VaFMdgE6mYPT8QGXjA0A\"><strong><em>CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT\u2019S APP GROUP<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029VaFMdgE6mYPT8QGXjA0A\"><strong><em>CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT\u2019S APP GROUP<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029VaFMdgE6mYPT8QGXjA0A\"><strong><em>CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT\u2019S APP GROUP<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029VaFMdgE6mYPT8QGXjA0A\"><strong><em>CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT\u2019S APP GROUP<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029VaFMdgE6mYPT8QGXjA0A\"><strong><em>CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT\u2019S APP GROUP<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029VaFMdgE6mYPT8QGXjA0A\"><strong><em>CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT\u2019S APP GROUP<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029VaFMdgE6mYPT8QGXjA0A\"><strong><em>CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT\u2019S APP GROUP<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029VaFMdgE6mYPT8QGXjA0A\"><strong><em>CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT\u2019S APP GROUP<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029VaFMdgE6mYPT8QGXjA0A\"><strong><em>CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT\u2019S APP GROUP<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029VaFMdgE6mYPT8QGXjA0A\"><strong><em>CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT\u2019S APP GROUP<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"antig-3325288962\" class=\"antig-in-comments_2 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/@hadeedmotorsltd\" aria-label=\"Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 1000w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:75\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:192\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1000\" height=\"250\"   \/><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT\u2019S APP GROUP In a monumental step for human rights in the Eastern Caribbean, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court has declared sections 132 and 133 of the Criminal Code criminalizing buggery and gross indecency are inconsistent with various Constitutional rights protected under the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":245066,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-245065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.1 (Yoast SEO v24.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Eastern Caribbean Hope Renewed with Saint Lucia LGBTQ+ Victory\u00a0 - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Eastern Caribbean Hope Renewed with Saint Lucia LGBTQ+ Victory\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT\u2019S APP GROUP In a monumental step for human rights in the Eastern Caribbean, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court has declared sections 132 and 133 of the Criminal Code criminalizing buggery and gross indecency are inconsistent with various Constitutional rights protected under the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Antigua News Room\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-30T19:52:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-30T20:08:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot_30-7-2025_155136_www.bing_.com_.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"591\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"386\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"anr_staff\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@AntiguaNewsRoom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@AntiguaNewsRoom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"anr_staff\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"anr_staff\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f66ae26f5698168092c3ef9bccb12038\"},\"headline\":\"Eastern Caribbean Hope Renewed with Saint Lucia LGBTQ+ Victory\u00a0\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-30T19:52:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-30T20:08:49+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/\"},\"wordCount\":573,\"commentCount\":3,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:591\/h:386\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot_30-7-2025_155136_www.bing_.com_.jpeg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/\",\"name\":\"Eastern Caribbean Hope Renewed with Saint Lucia LGBTQ+ Victory\u00a0 - Antigua News Room\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:591\/h:386\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot_30-7-2025_155136_www.bing_.com_.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-30T19:52:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-30T20:08:49+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:591\/h:386\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot_30-7-2025_155136_www.bing_.com_.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:591\/h:386\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot_30-7-2025_155136_www.bing_.com_.jpeg\",\"width\":591,\"height\":386,\"caption\":\"Saint Lucia LGBTQ+ Victory\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Eastern Caribbean Hope Renewed with Saint Lucia LGBTQ+ Victory\u00a0\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/\",\"name\":\"Antigua News Room\",\"description\":\"News As It Happens\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Antigua Newsroom\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_1584.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_1584.jpeg\",\"width\":1260,\"height\":1260,\"caption\":\"Antigua Newsroom\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/AntiguaNewsRoom\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/antiguanewsroom\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f66ae26f5698168092c3ef9bccb12038\",\"name\":\"anr_staff\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96\",\"caption\":\"anr_staff\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/author\/anr_staff\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Eastern Caribbean Hope Renewed with Saint Lucia LGBTQ+ Victory\u00a0 - Antigua News Room","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Eastern Caribbean Hope Renewed with Saint Lucia LGBTQ+ Victory\u00a0","og_description":"CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT\u2019S APP GROUP In a monumental step for human rights in the Eastern Caribbean, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court has declared sections 132 and 133 of the Criminal Code criminalizing buggery and gross indecency are inconsistent with various Constitutional rights protected under the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/","og_site_name":"Antigua News Room","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom","article_published_time":"2025-07-30T19:52:03+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-07-30T20:08:49+00:00","og_image":[{"width":591,"height":386,"url":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot_30-7-2025_155136_www.bing_.com_.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"anr_staff","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@AntiguaNewsRoom","twitter_site":"@AntiguaNewsRoom","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"anr_staff","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/"},"author":{"name":"anr_staff","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f66ae26f5698168092c3ef9bccb12038"},"headline":"Eastern Caribbean Hope Renewed with Saint Lucia LGBTQ+ Victory\u00a0","datePublished":"2025-07-30T19:52:03+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-30T20:08:49+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/"},"wordCount":573,"commentCount":3,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:591\/h:386\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot_30-7-2025_155136_www.bing_.com_.jpeg","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/","url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/","name":"Eastern Caribbean Hope Renewed with Saint Lucia LGBTQ+ Victory\u00a0 - Antigua News Room","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:591\/h:386\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot_30-7-2025_155136_www.bing_.com_.jpeg","datePublished":"2025-07-30T19:52:03+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-30T20:08:49+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:591\/h:386\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot_30-7-2025_155136_www.bing_.com_.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:591\/h:386\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot_30-7-2025_155136_www.bing_.com_.jpeg","width":591,"height":386,"caption":"Saint Lucia LGBTQ+ Victory"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/eastern-caribbean-hope-renewed-with-saint-lucia-lgbtq-victory\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Eastern Caribbean Hope Renewed with Saint Lucia LGBTQ+ Victory\u00a0"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/","name":"Antigua News Room","description":"News As It Happens","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization","name":"Antigua Newsroom","url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_1584.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_1584.jpeg","width":1260,"height":1260,"caption":"Antigua Newsroom"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom","https:\/\/x.com\/AntiguaNewsRoom","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/antiguanewsroom\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f66ae26f5698168092c3ef9bccb12038","name":"anr_staff","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96","caption":"anr_staff"},"url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/author\/anr_staff\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245065","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=245065"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245065\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":245068,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245065\/revisions\/245068"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/245066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=245065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=245065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=245065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}