The legacy of colonialism weighs heavily on member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, former territories of the British Empire. In the Caribbean Republic of Trinidad and Tobago that legacy is shackled to a 16th century law that bans same-sex intimacy.
Efforts to strike down the antigay law were successful in 2018, heralding a new era for Trinidad and Tobago’s 100,000 LGBTQ citizens. But the fight isn’t over. An appeals court reinstated the sodomy law in March 2025, setting the stage for the next — and final — round of legal challenges.
The queer man behind the courthouse drama is Jason Jones, a biracial, binational queer activist based in London. In a wide-ranging interview, Jones talked with me about his life, coming out and coming of age in postcolonial Trinidad, where he developed a passion for justice that has guided his activism on two continents for more than 35 years.
“Most activists come to activism from desperation, not inspiration,” Jones told me. “If your activism is coming from a place of desperation, then you are not thinking it through; you are just being reactive. That’s not inspiring, inspired activism.”
A favorable ruling by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London could impact the lives of millions of LGBTQ people in the Caribbean and throughout the Commonwealth.
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