A bishop in the Caribbean has called for laws in his country that criminalize homosexuality to be made “null and void.”

Bishop Francis Alleyne of Georgetown, Guyana, made his comments as the keynote speaker at “Intimate Conviction 2: Continuing the Decriminalization Conference,” a gathering that focused on the relationship between religious groups and anti-LGBTQ laws in the Global South. The conference occurred via Zoom from November 25-27, 2020.

Alleyne spoke about his experiences in Guyana, as well as those of his brother bishops in the Antilles Episcopal Conference, which covers 19 dioceses in the Caribbean. The bishop said that in Guyana, criminalization laws are rarely enforced, but when they are, the enforcement is usually done cruelly. Alleyne then stated:

“There is no doubt in my mind that these laws in Guyana should be made null and void.”

The bishop added that in speaking with other Caribbean bishops, eleven of whom serve dioceses where homosexuality is criminalized, the question is “not a front burner issue for them,” but “generally they would have no objection having these laws removed from the books.” Read more via New Ways Ministry