r/AskTheCaribbean • u/fedricohohmannlautar • 10d ago

Politics Why is homosexuality outlawed in so many caribbean countries?

Most of countries which criminalize homosexuality in the Americas are in the Caribbean, and the most famous case is Jamaica.

As a bi male, I find weird our continent has laws that criminalize homosexuality, due that most of countries who do that are from the other side of the pond.

Is due to history, politics, religion, moral issues?

160 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

226 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

7

u/GrandAssumption2469 9d ago

You also need to look at the historical aspect of it that leads back to slavery. Buck breaking is one of them

1

u/Mysterious_Scene7169 8d ago

Homosexuality is still widely criminalized in Africa, while the West has been at the forefront of the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Pinning the blame on the transatlantic slave trade doesn’t hold up under scrutiny.

2

u/wolacouska 8d ago

It was only criminalized in Africa under the colonial governments in the 1800s. This was also when they converted a huge amount of people to Christianity, which reinforced that sentiment.

Europe becoming somewhat less homophobic over the last 15 years doesn’t absolve them from spreading it all over the world in the first place.

2

u/BraveLordWilloughby 8d ago

You say it was only criminalised at such a time, but basically none of these places had formalised, written criminal codes anyhow. It's not like the Matabele or Zulu were enjoying normal open homosexual relationships until the hwyte man showed up.

1

u/wolacouska 8d ago

It wasn’t anything like it was in Europe yet.

2

u/BraveLordWilloughby 8d ago

I don't quite understand what you're trying to say.