Dear Editor,

Dubbing it a win for human rights and inclusion, Stand Up for Jamaica (SUFJ) has welcomed Dominica’s High Court’s ruling striking down as unconstitutional the criminalisation of consensual same-sex acts as another example of the positive change that is spreading through the Caribbean.

It is a significant change of mindset following the principle of inclusion and the defence of human rights for all in our Caribbean region. This is a striking change and Barbados has been a pioneer in this movement.

The court found that sections of the country’s Sexual Offence Act had contravened Dominica’s Constitution, specifically the right to liberty, freedom of expression, and protection of personal privacy.

Section 16 of the Act criminalises buggery, with a stipulated maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment plus the possibility of forced psychiatric confinement. While Section 14, sweeping law, criminalises gross indecency, an act (other than penile-vaginal sex) by anyone “involving the use of the genital organs, breast, or anus to arouse or gratifying sexual desire”. The maximum penalty is 12 years in prison if the act is committed with a person aged 16 or older.

Coinciding with this different approach, which we also applaud, is unanimous endorsement by the United Methodist Church’s delegates at its recent general conference in support of a constitutional amendment, which, if ratified, would allow for the American church to conduct same-sex marriages and ordain LGBTQ+ people.

SUFJ, as a human rights agency, has been advocating relentlessly for such a change and has been spearheading several initiatives to ease the plight of members of the LGBTQ+ community.

The latest project, which was made possible through a recent grant received from the German Federal Government through the German Embassy in Kingston, will allow SUFJ to increase its education programmes in the correctional services for incarcerated LGBTQ+ people.

Owing to the negative effects of stigma, and for their safety, the Department of Correctional Services has created special blocks for LGBTQ+ people, but they do not have access to rehabilitation programmes, such as education, professional skills, and psychological assistance, which are accessible to the general population.

SUFJ has already implemented some rehabilitation activities on those blocks, but the assistance offered by the grant will allow us to increase our commitment to providing more teachers, trainers, books, stationery, and counselling sessions to enhance their self-awareness and self-esteem as well as to sensitise them about their rights.

We do strongly believe in the inclusion of the most vulnerable members of our society, and we hope that Jamaica will be able to join other Caribbean countries in putting an end to the discrimination and criminalisation of LGBTQ people.

We, therefore, urge the Government to repeal discriminatory laws that continue to marginalise and infringe upon the human rights of LGBTQ+ people and to firmly adopt and promote a culture of inclusion and respect for all people.

Maria Carla Gullotta

Executive director

Stand Up for Jamaica

carlajamaica51@gmail.com