While the United States of America continues to lack protection covering all Americans, specifically those who identify as homosexual or transgender, the Second World country of Cuba makes headway. According to bbc.com, "[Mariela] is currently attempting to get the Cuban National Assembly to adopt what would be among the most liberal gay and transsexual rights law in Latin America."
The Bill
The legislation in question intends to officially recognize same-sex unions and inheritance rights among same-sex couples, along with giving transsexual Cubans the rights to obtain free sex-change operations. Regardless whether a transsexual goes through with gender reassignment survey, the bill would permit them to change their gender on their identity cards to suit their self-proclaimed gender.
Despite the fact that adoption is not included, such legislation represents social progress that is unseen in many First World countries, the US included.
Surprisingly, Mariela's father, Raul, is encouraging, despite initial homophobic tendencies. "I've seen changes in my father since I was a child," Mariela said. "I saw him as macho and homophobic. But as I have grown and changed as a person, so I have seen him change."
In and Proud
During the Cuban Revolution, homosexuals were often sent to forced labor camps for reeducation and rehabilitation if they were found by authorities. “While the camps were not in use very long, gays were still labeled ‘ideological deviants,’” as gay.com reports. “[G]ay and lesbian sex was legalized 15 years ago, but police raids on gay events has persisted until recently.”
Although being of the LGBT persuasion is still a fairly closeted existence in Cuba, this is slowly changing. Playas Del Estes, just outside of Havana, is a known gay beach, for instance. Despite a lack of gay clubs in the capital itself, there is a weekly nightclub with comedians and cabaret shows that draws a distinctly gay crowd.
"What I see now is that both Cuban society and the government have realized that these were mistakes,” Mariela was quoted to have said in The Advocate. “There is also the desire to take initiatives which would prevent such things happening again."
Should the bill go through, it would represent a revolutionary change in Cuban politics.
History in the Making
"There is no official repression of lesbians and gays in Cuba," she said back in 2006. "What remains are social and cultural reactions that must be transformed, the same as in many other countries." Thus, even with a bill officially passed, cultural assumptions and beliefs must still be reckoned with.
It is not often (if ever) that the United States take a page out of Cuba’s book, but this may be the model LGBT activists in the States are looking for. By pointing fingers at a communist country that is not only protecting all of their citizens from discrimination, but providing free health care as well, law makers may be shamed into doing the same.
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