March 7, 2011   Gay News, Island Life

Brutal Attack in Saint Lucia on Gay Travelers

SURE, IT LOOKS PRETTY…..

But many parts of the Caribbean are still filled filled with hate and homophobia.  Jamaica may be the worst offender , but much of the rest of the Caribbean also has a long history of intense homophobia. Islands like Barbados still criminalize homosexuality, and some seem to be following Jamaica’s more violent example.  Bahamas and St. Martin has had bad press and now Saint Lucia


Gay couple Michael Baker and Nick Smith were attacked , while visiting Saint Lucia, from Atlanta. 

The couple had been staying with a friend, Todd Wiggins, at a cottage on the island, where sex between gay men is illegal, when they were attacked by five men who had broken into the house. Baker says the ordeal “was more than a simple robbery” and recounts how the assailants “said if (Baker and Smith) were faggots they would kill (them).” He describes the awful assault in his own words on his Facebook wall:

Todd suggested that Nick and I shower off while he checked email and then we would make dinner. Nick and I went into the bathroom, started the shower, chatting about how incredible the day had been. I stepped under the water with Nick as he started to lather his hair.
 
Then I heard a scream I’ll never forget. “Oh my god, oh my god, no, no no!!! Stay in the bathroom!! OH MY GOD!”
 
It didn’t make sense… there had been bugs and creatures in and out of the house all week, how could Todd be freaked out by a bug? I went to the door and glanced out. Immediately, I saw a man all in black, his face covered in a tee shirt so I could only see his eyes, and the gun in his hand. We were going to die. I didn’t see, but knew there was more than one because someone was attacking Todd….

What followed is a brutal attack. Beating, bashing, blood everywhere  –



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