Sunday, May 15, 2011

March against homophobia in Havana

March on La Rampa, Vedado
On Saturday, the International Day against Homophobia was observed in Havana by hundreds of Cubans who marched on La Rampa (23rd Avenue), to repudiate homophobia and in favour of sexual diversity.

Mariela Castro, Director of the National Sexual Education Center and a firm advocate of homosexual rights in Cuba, organized and led the rally whose goal was, in her own words, “to raise awareness about discrimination”.

Mariela Castro, center, led the March
In an already patriarchal world, Cuba, together with other Latino countries, shares a “machista” oriented culture, where intolerance towards homosexuality is acceptable and in many cases expected; however, in recent years, Cuba has experienced a steady improvement in the treatment of homosexuals, both officially and socially. This improvement is greatly due to the national campaign the CENESEX (National Sexual Education Center) has led informing and educating about sexuality, the construction of gender, and homosexuality.

Sexual diversity in Havana
The Cuban government currently pays for sex-change operations and is considering an amendment to the Family Law to include recognition and benefits for same-sex unions. Cuba, as a paradigm of social equality and respect for human dignity, still has much to progress in the road for total acceptance of homosexuals as productive individuals who can contribute to the betterment of society as any other member of the community.

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