For the first time ever, a human rights advocacy court has ruled that Jamaica’s criminalisation of same-sex relations violates the rights of its LGBTQ+ citizens, urging the government to change its laws.
According to Reuters, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) ruled that the persecution of LGBTQ+ people is a violation of international law, after Human Dignity Trust (an LGBTQ+ legal advocacy group) brought forward the case.Jamaica is one of nine Caribbean countries that persecutes people for engaging in same-sex relations, with the penalty being up to 10 years imprisonment.
A case was first brought against Jamaican authorities in 2011 by two citizens who were attacked by homophobic gangs in the country. Gareth Henry and Si.