Homosexuality in Dominica

This article deals with the situation in English-speaking Dominica, for the conditions in the Spanish-speaking Dominican Republic see Homosexuality in the Dominican Republic .

Geographical location of Dominica

Homosexuality is illegal for men and women in Dominica. The law against homosexuals was only renewed in 1998 and is being enforced with great severity. Any sign of homosexuality in this island republic can serve as a pretext for criminal prosecution and tourists are not safe from the religiously fueled homophobia in the country.

illegality

In Dominica, homosexual acts are considered “gross fornication ” under Section 14 of the Sexual Offences Act of 1998 and punishable by a prison sentence of up to five years. Section 16 punishes anal intercourse (whether with men or women) with a prison sentence of up to 10 years, or in some cases with admission to a psychiatric institution. A penalty of up to 4 years is provided for attempted anal intercourse.

From 1995 to 2000, 35 people were arrested for the crime of anal sex.

Recognition of same-sex couples

Same-sex couples are not recognized either through registered partnerships or same-sex marriage .

Social situation

Dominica, as in almost all former British colonies in the Caribbean , has discriminatory laws and homophobic practices that prevent homosexual people from accessing health services. The island nation is a popular tourist destination, especially from the United States. Many LGBT tourists go to a wide variety of Caribbean islands on special Caribbean cruises for homosexual tourists. Some tour operators have also included the island republic of Dominica in their programs, with sometimes devastating consequences for gay travelers. It wasn't until March 2012 that two gay men from California were arrested from a cruise ship and suspected of having anal sex. A planned medical examination of the "incident" was eventually abandoned, but the two were held in prison for 19 hours. Since no sexual activity could be proven, they were only charged with nude exposure on the cruise ship and were released on a $ 4,000 fine.

See also

• Laws on homosexuality
• Homophobia
• Homosexuality in the Bahamas
• Homosexuality in Jamaica

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ILGA : ILGA State-Sponsored Homophobia Report ( Memento July 3, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), accessed April 27, 2012
2. ↑ KTLA: Gay Men Arrested in Dominica ( Memento of the original from June 29, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , March 23, 2012 (with video)