CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC) — Prime Minister Allen Chastanet says his Administration has so far not taken any “definitive decision” as it relates to the buggery laws in St Lucia.

“That’s certainly something that is going to require a lot of dialogue and discussion,” Chastanet told reporters, even as he acknowledged that while the matter has become a global issue, there were many perspectives as to whether anti-buggery laws impede human rights.

“This is something that we are going to continue to review, but my Government does not have an official position on it as yet.”

Chastanet dismissed suggestions that anti-buggery laws send the wrong message to the world and could affect the tourism industry, saying, “it hasn’t in the past.

“But as you will know, nobody has been arrested under that law in St Lucia. We are a Catholic society and I think every country is entitled to have its own positions, and therefore, this idea that everybody should be harmonised on these issues — we have seen countries which have gone and decriminalised buggery and have now reversed their position; we have seen other countries which have just remained constant,” he stated.

Chastanet said there still needs to be a lot of discussion and debate in St Lucia before the country can move forward on the issue.

Earlier this month, president of the St Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association Karolin Troubetzkoy was quoted as saying that she was “saddened” over “so many” travellers from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community overseas that would not come to St Lucia because of “our rather ancient law that criminalises same-sex sexual activity between two consenting adults in the privacy of their bedroom”.

Section 133 of Saint Lucia’s Criminal Code states that “buggery” is punishable by a prison sentence of up to 10 years, or life if practised without consent.