Saint Lucia

Consensual same-sex sexual conduct between men is no longer criminalized in Saint Lucia. On July 29, 2025, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court declared that Sections 132 and 133 of the criminal code, criminalizing gross indecency and buggery, were unconstitutional. The laws violated the claimants’ rights to protection of the law, privacy, life, liberty, and security of the person, freedom of expression, and nondiscrimination on the basis of sex. The court modified Sections 132 and 133 of the criminal code so that Section 132 no longer applies to private consensual conduct between adults and Section 133 no longer extends to private consensual conduct between persons 16 years of age or older.

The court’s ruling is a significant advance for the rights of LGBTIQ persons in Saint Lucia—even though the laws were rarely enforced, they contributed to pervasive antipathy toward sexual and gender minorities.

LGBTIQ visibility and activism have increased in the last decade, contributing to growing acceptance. Representation in the media is mixed, but there is a growing prevalence of neutral and even positive representations. However, some Christian groups continue to campaign against the human rights of LGBTIQ people. 

Notably, social protections for LGBTIQ people are expanding. A new Domestic Violence Act was passed in 2022, containing gender-neutral language and permitting persons in same-sex relationships to apply for protection orders and access support services. This Domestic Violence Act is the most progressive and inclusive gender-based violence law in the English-speaking Caribbean.