Barbados’ top court strikes down laws that criminalize gay sex

Third nation in conservative Caribbean region to do so this year, in pivotal moment for those who have long fought against such laws

A top court in Barbados has struck down colonial-era laws that criminalize gay sex, becoming the third nation in the conservative Caribbean region to do so this year.

The ruling issued Monday by the Barbados high court is a pivotal moment for activists and nonprofit organizations who have long fought against such laws on the eastern Caribbean island, including one that demands up to a life sentence for gay men found guilty of having sex.