LGBTQ+ Rights in the Caribbean

Despite interconnected colonial foundations, the countries of the Caribbean have had vastly different outcomes in terms of government legislation regarding sexual and gender diversity. The differences can be seen even between countries with the same colonizing empire and similarities between countries with different empires have yet to be fully explored in this context. I plan to illustrate the interconnectedness of Caribbean culture, governments, lived realities, and activism in sovereign nations. By examining the legislations introduced, passed, or rejected, we can see very different legal trajectories even across government systems and colonial histories. Jamaica and the Dominican Republic both had gay marriage explicitly banned by their legislative bodies in 2012 and 2010 respectively. Barbados banned employment discrimination against individuals with diverse sexual and gender identities in 2022 and Cuba passed similar anti-discrimination laws in 2018 as well as a referendum legalizing same-sex marriage. At the same time, the countries Haiti and Grenada have had discussions on the laws surrounding the LGBTQ+ community, but no legislation was ever ratified. Looking across the spectrum of political systems, what factors are influencing whether governments criminalize, protect, or alienate homosexuality and gender diversity in the Caribbean? In conjunction with looking at legislation, I will be conducting interviews with activists connected with LGBTQ+ organizations as well as exploring the effects of national and regional courts in reshaping the legality surrounding homosexuality and discrimination.