Cuban Government Backs Calls to Combat Homophobia  | News | Advocate.com

||  News  ||
May 20, 2008
Cuban Government Backs Calls to Combat Homophobia

Cuba's gay community celebrated unprecedented openness -- and high-ranking political alliances -- with a government-backed campaign against homophobia on Saturday.

The meeting at a convention center in Havana's Vedado district may have been the largest gathering of openly gay activists ever on the communist-run island. President Raul Castro's daughter Mariela, who has promoted the rights of sexual minorities, presided.

''This is a very important moment for us, the men and women of Cuba, because for the first time we can gather in this way and speak profoundly and with scientific basis about these topics,'' said Castro, director of Cuba's Center for Sexual Education.

Mariela Castro joined government leaders and hundreds of activists at the one-day conference for the International Day Against Homophobia that featured shows, lectures, panel discussions, and book presentations. A station also offered blood testing for sexually transmitted diseases.

Cuban state television gave prime-time play Friday to the U.S. film Brokeback Mountain, which tells the story of two cowboys who conceal their homosexual affair.

Prejudice against homosexuals remains deeply rooted in Cuban society, but the government has steadily moved away from the puritanism of the 1960s and 1970s, when gays hid their sexuality for fear of being ridiculed, fired from work, or even imprisoned.

Now Cuba's parliament is studying proposals to legalize same-sex unions and give gay couples the benefits that people in traditional marriages enjoy.

Parliament head Ricardo Alarcon said the government needs to do more to promote gay rights but said many Cubans still need to be convinced.

Things ''are advancing but must continue advancing, and I think we should do that in a coherent, appropriate, and precise way because these are topics that have been taboo and continue to be for many,'' Alarcon told reporters.

Some at the conference spoke of streaming out into the streets for a spontaneous gay pride parade, but others urged caution.

The gay rights movement should be careful not to ''flood'' Cuban society with a message that many are not ready to hear, physician and gay activist Alberto Roque cautioned.

And Mariela Castro said gay activists should opt for more subtle ways to chip away at deep-seated homophobic attitudes.

Defending equal rights for Cubans, of all sexual orientations, is a key principle of the Cuban revolution led by her uncle Fidel Castro, who overthrew dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959, she said.

''The freedom of sexual choice and gender identity [are] exercises in equality and social justice,'' she said. (Andrea Rodriguez, AP)

© 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

  • Name: John Embry
    Date posted: 2008-05-20 3:59 PM
    Hometown: San Francisco, CA

    Comment:

    The world is changing and why not Cuba. I have always like Cuban people and rejoice for them in their Gays newfound deliverence. As the Catholic church and the Communists ease their grip, there will be many improvements and freedoms. It is getting time for the U.S. to get over its Cubaphobia. There are far worse forms of government accomplishing far less than Castro.


  • Name: Rick
    Date posted: 2008-05-20 2:33 AM
    Hometown: Long Beach, CA

    Comment:

    I am a Cuban-American, second generation gay, and been here since 1980-Mariel Boatlift's. My real father was gay upon his passing away I realized how hard it was for him to be gay in Cuba and how easy it has been for me to be gay in the U.S.A. Also with the showing of Brokeback Mountain since it was the period of 1964-1984 which is the same time frame for my real father since he was born in 1949. I am still in close contact with his first lover who lives in Los Angeles and has been with HIV/AIDS for 21 years. I am glad that even with 48 states we can't get married, we are able to express ourselves without being thrown in jail - although we have George Bush (he is no Fidel Castro). My real father had to get married to peace the family and live a double life.


  • Name: David Forbes
    Date posted: 2008-05-20 12:29 AM
    Hometown: San Francisco

    Comment:

    the quote reads...freedom of sexual choice and gender identity... People do choose whom they have sex with. I think she sounds groovy.


  • Name: Gustavo
    Date posted: 2008-05-20 12:10 AM
    Hometown: Austin, TX

    Comment:

    I was in Cuba 5 years ago and had to run from a private party because the political police was coming to raid the house, a private house; only because it was mostly attended by gays. It is hard to believe that a government that represses its own people - ALL its people - all the sudden becomes concerned with gay rights. What about basic HUMAN rights, like freedom to travel, to read without censorhip, to belong to whichever political/social group we may want to associate with (gay and/or straight), to have gay clubs? All of this coming from the same so called "revolution" that in the 60's rounded up gays in the streets and imprisoned them in labor camps. Only when all Cubans are free, will gay Cubans be free.


  • Name: Gary
    Date posted: 2008-05-19 5:25 PM
    Hometown: Dallas, Texas

    Comment:

    Truly this is ''a very important moment" for the Cuban people. However, in the exuberance of the moment Mariela Castro eroneously announced to the world that sexual and gender identy is a "choice." It is not.


  • Name: Greg
    Date posted: 2008-05-19 2:28 PM
    Hometown: Harrisburg

    Comment:

    Thank God, I can't believe it. We the U.S.A. should open up talks. And settle our differences... That would be a positive step... greg


Back to top

Submit a comment for this story:

*Type your comment here (Required, 1000 characters max.):

*Name (Required): 

*Hometown (Required): 

*E-mail address: (Required, but will not be displayed)

Is this comment for publication? 
Yes   No

Daytime phone number: (Required for print publication only and will not be displayed)

Please enter the words you see in the box, in order and separated by a space. Doing so helps prevent automated programs from abusing this service.

  

If you would like to submit a comment for posting, please fill out the form above. 

All comments submitted via this form are subject to posting or publication. (To send a private letter to an Advocate editor or writer, please use the e-mail button at the top of the page, or use snail mail.) If you would like your comment considered for publication in The Advocate magazine, please include your full name, your city of residence, and a phone number where you can be reached during business hours so that we can confirm your identity. Your e-mail address and telephone number are strictly confidential and will not be shared or used for any purpose other than to contact you about your comment.

Comments that do not concern specific articles in The Advocate or on Advocate.com will not be posted or published. See the Contact page for sending comments for reasons other than responding to Advocate editorial and news stories.

Please note that comments sent by fax or snail mail are unlikely to be posted, although they will be considered for publication along with all letters received via e-mail or via this Web page. Comments that chiefly concern Advocate.com content will be considered for posting only on the Web site. The Advocate reserves the right to edit submitted comments for grammar, spelling, obscenities, or libel; we will, however, do our best to preserve the original comment's style and intent. Comments considered for publication in The Advocate magazine may also be edited for length.

More Exclusives
  • Police Woman
    Long before Sam Adams made waves as Portland, Ore.'s gay mayor, the macho world of Oregon police enforcement was crashed by lesbian Jennifer Bills
  • Phair Play
    Fifteen years after the release of her revolutionary album Exile in Guyville, Liz Phair performs all of the album's 18 tracks in Chicago -- with mixed results
  • Aloha From Hawaii
    Advocate.com correspondent Job Brother takes a look at Starwood Hotels' newest property on Kauai and some of the resort group's recently remodeled gems on Oahu.
  • She Still Bops
    With Cyndi Lauper and a who's who of queer and queer-friendly talent, the True Colors tour is entertainment for all orientations and all generations.
  • State of the Unions
    Searching for the perfect tux? Wondering what you need to know to tie the knot? Look no further. The Advocate has joined forces with our friends at Out to bring you a comprehensive guide to all things marriage.
  • Obama Woos Clinton Donors, LGBTs Included
    Sen. Barack Obama meets with Hillary Clinton's donors in D.C. on Thursday, but the campaign's efforts to romance Clinton's LGBT fund-raisers is still finding its groove.
  • I'm a Dad
    Actor, singer, and all-around entertainer Sam Harris talks about his journey of adoption and the joys of taking on his latest title: father.
  • Good Golly, Miss Molly
    Molly Ringwald discusses her new ABC Family series, her daughter's gay godfather, her obsession with eBay, and why Andie could never have ended up with Duckie
  • Provincetown Film Festival
    Jane Lynch, Alan Ball, and John Waters descend on the Cape. Will Henderson gives us the queer highlights from this year's festival.
  • Hair Apparent
    Jaclyn Smith on the success Bravo’s Shear Genius, her Angel years and the quest to gain more inner strength
  • Katy Perry Isn't One of the Boys
    With a number 1 single just around the corner and Madonna among her fan base, Katy Perry's two gay songs have made her a pop sensation.
  • The Gay Goodfellas
    Inside the Gill Action Fund, the most effective pro-gay political weapon you never heard of.
  • Obama And One-Man, One-Woman Marriage
    Sen. Obama reminded us this week that he believes marriage is between a man and a woman, something LGBT people might have easily forgotten over the course of the primary.
  • The Whole World Is Watching
    The media spotlight turned to California last week as the first marriages were performed. Although for the most part it was a rare glimpse at the human angle of our battle, sometimes their silence spoke louder than words
  • The Godfather of Electro-pop
    Former Depeche Mode and Erasure member Vince Clarke reunites with bandmate Alison Moyet this summer for a Yaz reunion tour. The straight man to some pretty gay acts tells us why he stopped singing, what broke Yazoo up, and why the future of electro-pop music may be monkey brains
  • It's The Economy, Stupid
    California's non-partisan Legislative Analyst Office is studying the economic impact of a state ballot measure that would ban same-sex marriages. Will the findings sway voters in the fall?