St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Demographics

Estimated Total Population:

110,000

World Bank, 2018

Estimated SGM Population:

N/A

N/A

Estimated Total SGM Adult Population:

N/A

N/A

Estimated % of SGM Adults (18+):

N/A

N/A

The island nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is largely homophobic, both in terms of policies and popular opinion. Consensual same-sex acts are punishable by up to ten years in prison for all genders, making St. Vincent and the Grenadines one of only five Latin American and Caribbean countries to criminalize such acts between women. The country is made up of a rather young population, and was a British colony until 1979. Some citizens of SVG are slowly chipping away at their outdated and bigoted laws, filing multiple legal cases in an effort to strike down the law. A lack of openness and education about LGBT+ issues has led to SVG’s incredibly high HIV rate and limited treatment options.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines' Laws and Policies from ILGA World Report (2019)

RECOGNITION
Marriage for Same-Sex Couples
No
Civil Unions
No
Joint Adoption
No
Second Parent Adoption
No
PROTECTION
Employment Nondiscrimination Laws
No
Broad Protections
No
Criminalization of Violence
No
Ban of Conversion Therapy
No
CRIMINALIZATION
Consensual Same-Sex Acts are Legal?
No
Gender
Any Gender
Max Penalty (Yrs in Prison)
10

Selected Published Studies, Reports, and Other Documents

Canada, I. and R. B. of. (2018, June 5). Responses to Information Requests. https://irb-cisr.gc.ca:443/en/country-information/rir/Pages/index.aspx?doc=456253&pls=1

Fishbein, M., Trafimow, D., Middlestadt, S. E., Helquist, M., Francis, C., & Eustace, M. A. (1995). Using an AIDS KABP Survey to Identify Determinants of Condom Use Among Sexually Active Adults From St. Vincent and The Grenadines1. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 25(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1995.tb01580.x

Myers, J. J., Maiorana, A., Chapman, K., Lall, R., Kassie, N., & Persaud, N. (2011). How the Illicit Drug Economy Contributes to HIV Risk in St Vincent and the Grenadines. Journal of the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care, 10(6), 396–406. https://doi.org/10.1177/1545109711418508

Two gay men exiled from St Vincent challenge colonial anti-gay laws. (2019, August 24). Evening Standard. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/two-gay-men-exiled-from-st-vincent-challenge-old-british-colonial-laws-criminalising-homosexuality-a4220366.html

St. Vincent Country Report for use in refugee claims based on persecution relating to sexual orientation and gender identity. (2019). University of Toronto International Human Rights Program. https://ihrp.law.utoronto.ca/utfl_file/count/documents/SOGI/StVincent_SOGI_2009.pdf