LGBTQ activist Jason Jones launches crowdfunding page to take legal action to defend his historic victory in Trinidad and Tobago
The activist was honoured with an Attitude Pride Award last year
By Steve Brown
LGBTQ activist Jason Jones has launched a crowdfunding page to help pay for costs in the ongoing legal battle in Trinidad and Tobago.
Growing up gay in the small Caribbean nation, Jason, who is now based in London, was verbally and physically abused on a daily basis – but he was determined to change anti-gay laws which saw gay sex between two consenting men punishable with up to 25 years in prison.
In 2017, the Attitude Pride Award winner filed a now-historic motion to strike down colonial-era homophobic laws in the Caribbean nation – but death threats poured in and he was forced to go into hiding.
But Jason didn’t let these threats stop him, and in April last year, his mission succeeded when a high court judge ruled that Sections 13 and 16 of the country’s Sexual Offences Act – which included the “buggery law” inherited from colonial Britain – were unconstitutional.
And now, Jason is fundraising to take legal action to defend the Appeal of his historic victory.
On the crowdfunding page, Jason wrote: “The funds I am raising are for all of the out of pocket expenses that arise when running a case of this size, and appearing in courts between 2 jurisdictions, 5,000 miles apart.
“I am without any support from Governments and/or non-governmental agencies. So I depend on your generous donations to keep going!”