A week ago, a number of Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries had vowed not to sign onto a trade and aid agreement between Europe and its former colonies in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific (ACP), alleging that some of the agreement’s clauses had hidden requirements to force them to recognize same-sex marriages and legalize related LGBTQ issues.
The regional Catholic Church was among the most strident of institutions that came out against the agreement, charging that some of its human rights recognition clauses had created a pathway for the region to amend laws to bring them in line with recognition in the west for gay rights issues.
Jamaica, Trinidad, Grenada, and a slew of others had either refused to sign the agreement at last week’s formal ceremony in the Pacific nation of Samoa or delayed doing so until they had completed further consultations with opposing civil society groups that had been railing against the agreement.
In recent days, however, St. Vincent, Grenada, St. Kitts, and Barbados have all signed on, with Grenada being the standout for quickly reversing itself by signing just hours after Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell had promised that the eastern Caribbean nation, which the U.S. had invaded back in 1983, would not be part of an agreement with morality issues that run contrary to local laws and values.
“We have to be careful that we do not blur the line between private morality and law, and I certainly think from our perspective, the morality of other countries is not something that should be imposed on the morality of countries, nor, in my view, it should be tied to aid,” Mitchell had said publicly. “If you attempt to impose what I would call morality issues into them, then I think certainly from our perspective, it is not likely that this government would simply sign because we need to get some grant funding or aid funding.”
Hours after such a statement, Grenada signed the Samoa Agreement through Ambassador Raphael Joseph, a week after more than 100 nations had done so in Samoa, prompting the main opposition New National Party (NNP) to criticize the government for its about-face without official explanation.
The deal replaces the Cotonu Agreement (Benin) signed back in 2020 and will run for 20 years. Countries have a six-month window to sign on.
Even as the Catholic and Jamaican civil society organizations urge governments to hold their hand, Vincentian Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said he is not worried about references in Article 9 of the document that speak to the fundamental rights for all “without discrimination based on any ground including sex, ethnic or social origin, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, disability, age, or other status.” He said that while this “may present room for matters relating to LGBTQ rights to be inserted, I suspect that formulation of ‘other status’ [means] they may wish to bring in the issue of sexual orientation, but it isn’t said here. This paragraph…doesn’t mention sexual orientation. They may think that [is] what’s included, but it is not there because there would have been objections to putting it explicitly and they will try to push their values, which are not ours.”
He argued that laws can only be changed by parliament, so there should be no fear that gay rights matters can be imposed on St. Vincent.
Of the 14 nations eligible to sign the agreement, Trinidad and Jamaica remain the most strident in opposition to some clauses as authorities promise to step up civil society consultation before a decision is made.
