Is Saint Lucia’s buggery law, which criminalizes men having sex with men, an impediment to the island’s tourism industry? The president of the Saint Lucia Hospitality & Tourism Association (SLHTA), Karolin Troubetzkoy, triggered the question last week when she told reporters: “As a hospitality professional, it saddens me that there are so many travellers from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community overseas that would not come to Saint Lucia because of our rather ancient law that criminalizes same-sex sexual activity between two consenting adults in the privacy of their bedroom. I think that the time has come to have this discussion. I think we can at least agree the law is simply outdated and that it sends the wrong signal to the world.”
She did not say what she meant by “so many travellers”. Neither did she reveal the source of her information. The reaction from the Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the West Indies was predictable: “I’m totally disappointed with her.” Especially in recent months, Dr. Thomas Eristhee has publicly objected to activities of the LGBT community.
In August, while speaking out against a proposed Pride celebration here, the bishop called for the buggery law to be retained, on the basis that the LGBT lifestyle is a “deception by the devil”. He warned that the pillar of the family, society and community risks destruction if the group has its way. He fears that removing the law will “open the door” for same-sex marriage.
Referencing the SLHTA president’s suggestion, Eristhee told the STAR he does not believe the law is outdated, neither should it be repealed “simply because a group of persons want to do what is wrong.” He added: “If we have to go further, it’s also in our laws that a man cannot marry his sister, neither a woman her brother. So if two persons are grown and they want to do it, should we change the law to accommodate them? Should a mother be able to marry her son?”
Eristhee remains confident that keeping the buggery law will not impact the island’s tourism industry. In pointing to the recorded over 1.2 million people who visited Saint Lucia last year, he says that the industry is doing well despite the suggestion that some people from the LGBT community may have decided to visit more accommodating destinations.
He warned that there are attempts to force the LGBT agenda on the country and other Caribbean islands, and wondered if that had anything to do with their size. He referenced the Middle East, where the laws are especially strict but do not deter tourists. “She makes it sound that if a gay person comes to Saint Lucia, he or she is likely to be beaten or killed based on their sexuality. That is not the case at all,” said the bishop.
