Cuba to Consider Same-Sex Civil Unions

Mariela Castro, daughter of Cuban president Raul Castro and a leading gay rights activist in the country, says the nation's lawmakers will consider legalizing same-sex civil unions this year.

"I believe that the Party Conference may help to define a policy explicitly prohibiting discrimination on sexual orientation and gender identity and, in turn, help to dismantle the prejudices that hinder its adoption," Castro said in an interview published by Cuban news agency Cuba Si.

In the interview, she says the country's Family Code is undergoing legal scrutiny, and discussion regarding the possibility of same-sex civil unions is on the legislative agenda for 2012.

The Associated Press reports that the Cuban government has increased advocacy for LGBT equality in recent years, leading anti-homophobia campaigns and paying for sex change operations.