PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago — Pride TT has welcomed a landmark ruling by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in LGBTQ Jason Jones’ longstanding constitutional challenge to sections 13 and 16 of the Sexual Offences Act, describing the decision as a significant step towards equality and the protection of human rights.

In a statement issued on November 10, the organisation said the ruling in The Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago and Others v Jason Jones was a victory for Jones, the LGBTQIA+ community and the principle that everyone should be able to live with dignity and privacy, free from discrimination and criminalisation.

Pride TT said the decision offered an opportunity for Trinidad and Tobago to move beyond laws it described as rooted in its colonial past and build stronger protections for the rights of LGBTQIA+ people.

The organisation credited Jones’ determination and personal sacrifice in bringing the constitutional challenge before the country’s highest appellate court, while also recognising the advocates, legal representatives, organisations and allies who supported the case.

However, Pride TT cautioned that the ruling would not immediately resolve the discrimination, stigma and exclusion experienced by LGBTQIA+ people in areas such as employment, education, housing, healthcare and access to public services.

It called on the Government, Parliament, civil society, the private sector, religious institutions and citizens to use the decision as an opportunity to advance legislative reform and strengthen protections against discrimination.

The organisation identified amendments to the Equal Opportunity Act to explicitly include protections for LGBTQIA+ people as the next significant step towards equality.

Pride TT Co-Founder and Executive Director Kennedy Everett Maraj said the ruling presented an opportunity to confront discriminatory laws and build a society grounded in equality, dignity, justice and respect.

“We must also resist the temptation to allow this decision to become another source of division. Equality is not a threat to anyone’s faith, family, or personal beliefs. Protecting the rights of one group does not diminish the rights of another,” Maraj said.

He added that a society was strongest when its protections extended to everyone, including people whose lives, identities or experiences differed from those of others.

Pride TT said it stood ready to work with the Government and other stakeholders to advance the proposed legislative changes, adding that the work towards a more inclusive Trinidad and Tobago would continue beyond the court decision.