Cuban gays dance conga against homophobia

[Scurrilous]

Source: Associated Press

<snip>

"President Raul Castro's daughter led hundreds of Cuban gays in a street dance Saturday to draw attention to gay rights on the island.

Participants formed a carnival-style conga line around two city blocks to beat the of drums, accompanied by costumed stilt-walkers. Events also included educational panels and presentations for books, magazines and CDs about gay rights and sexual diversity.

"We're calling on the Cuban people to participate ... so that the revolution can be deeper and include all the needs of the human being," said Mariela Castro, an outspoken gay rights advocate who directs Cuba's officially sanctioned Sex Education Center.

Attending the program's opening, Parliament speaker President Ricardo Alarcon said that Cuba has advanced in recent years in the area of gay rights."

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/world/AP/story/1051740.html

[IndianaGreen]

1. K&R

Cuba offers free SRS to transgenders.

[JayMusgrove]

3. SRS???? Please be clear by using words for old people like me!

?

[IndianaGreen]

5. SRS = sex reassignment surgery

I learned the acronym in the LGBT forum. :-)

[JayMusgrove]

6. Now THAT was easy, wasn't it? But what does SRS have to do with

being gay? Most gay people are happy with the gender they are.

[bitchkitty]

10. That is true, there is a difference.

But transsexuals have something in common with many gays and lesbians - a history of being persecuted for being who they are. It's not surprising that they would identify with one another.

edited for grammar

[JayMusgrove]

13. Of course, any minority group has the majority group called "women" to

thank for starting this liberation thingy back in the 60's.

Were it not for women's liberation, (and all the concepts that entailed), there would be no black liberation, no gay liberation, no transgender liberation.....

We all owe a debt to the women of America who helped all minorities become aware of their rights, and all to demand equal standing.

I am happy that Cuba is ahead of Texas, or ahead of some towns in Texas and other places in the USA.

Sorry, didn't mean to demean your note that "SRS" is important to any free thinking liberal... I just didn't know what you were referring to.

[No Elephants]

28. Betty Friedan, Feminine Mystique 1963. Rosa Parks 1955. Mahatma Ghandi, even earlier. Thoreau

even earlier. Women's suffrage movements in the U.S. and abroad, early part of the 20th Century. Magna Carta, circa 1215.

Peaceful protest against oppression, backed by civil disobedience, has a long and proud history but, in this country, in the 20th century, the African American civil rights started several years before--and inspired and informed all that followed, including the feminist movement of the 1960's. A gay rights revolt in NYC over repeated police harassment and brutality was around the same time as the feminist movement.

[IndianaGreen]

15. Mariela Castro has been on the forefront of LGBT rights; the "T" being for transgender

One cannot split the LGBT community into its component parts, as Barney Frank shamefully did months ago by stripping gender identity from ENDA.

[konnichi wa]

2. That's a most welcome but surprising development. Hispanics aren't widely known for

their tolerance...
:shrug:
:toast: to Srta Castro :D

[EFerrari]

7. Beware of stereotypes. The people of Latin America

come from mostly socialistic native peoples who had to survive European intolerance. Calling them "hispanic" is like calling Americans "British descendents" -- it's only part of the story.

The Catholic Church came to conquer us, we didn't go looking for it

[konnichi wa]

14. That's right...I didn't mean it in an ethnic way, I just meant to acknowledge that

Catholicism is practically universal in Central and South America. For that, I blame the conquerers and missionaries.

[arcos]

23. That's also a generalization...

Plus, things have been changing, rapidly, in the last few years.

Most Latin American countries supported the December 2008 "United Nations declaration on sexual orientation and gender identity", and although Catholicism is still the most widely practiced religion, it can no longer be called "practically universal". Local religious practices are widespread, Evangelical groups now have an important chunk of followers in a lot of Latin American countries, and non-believers are no longer staying quite.

Sure, there's still is a lot of homophobia, driven by ignorance, the Catholic Church and evangelical groups, but the LBGT community is really vibrant and accepted in a lot countries. Several have civil unions (several cities in Argentina, including Buenos Aires, Ecuador, Colombia, México City) and others are discussing it (Costa Rica).

Today, Sunday May 17, Costa Rica is celebrating for the first time ever the International Day Against Homophobia. Last year the President signed an executive order to commemorate this day, and several public institutions and private organizations have launched informational campaigns, or have big rainbow flags (University of Costa Rica, for example, the biggest and most important in the country).

[UndertheOcean]

4. K&R

[AnnieBW]

8. Oh, that sounds like fun!

And you wonder why they're called "gay"? Because the Fundies took "boring". :D

[robcon]

9. Only 'government-sponsored' programs are allowed.

If the group was protesting a government program, they'd all be in jail.

I'm glad to see Raul Castro is more progressive than Fidel on gays. But don't be fooled. This isn't a protest - it's a government-sponsored program.

[Better Believe It]

16. Tell us what Fidel Castro's position is on gays today since you claim to know

Credible links please.

[Mika]

26. Absolute BS.

If the group was protesting a government program, they'd all be in jail.

More BS from you, I see.

Actually, Cubans are one of the most activist population on the planet. When they don't like the doings of their government they participate in it by running for office, and if they have a popular position and can represent their case well then they form a constituency, get elected and then make the changes they seek - just as we see in this story.

Cuba has a functioning system of government. That is how and why the Cuban people have world class social infrastructure despite living on a poor Caribbean island (that is under an extra territorial embargo and sanctions by the US).

[Judi Lynn]

11. Adding the photo from the article:

http://media.miamiherald.com.nyud.net:8090/smedia/2009/05/16/14/Cuba_Protest.sff.embedded.prod_affiliate.56.jpg

Activists dance during a parade marking the
International Day Against Homophobia in Havana,
Saturday, May 16, 2009. Prensa Latina / AP Photo

Don't forget the Cubans have had the first gay soap opera in Latin America!

It caused an enormous controvery when it first appeared, but articles have indicated people all over the island are keeping track of it now, and that it's a very big topic of conversation!

[proteus_lives]

12. Good for them!

LGBT people should protest for their rights worldwide.

[xchrom]

17. recommend

[Orrex]

18. That's about the coolest thing I've heard in weeks

What an awesome story!

[Sandrine for you]

19. A great difference from the russian administration.

[msongs]

20. Che Guevara must be rolling in his grave - itching to get out and be a serial killer again nt

[Mika]

27. Some people say.

Seeing as the "some people" are you, then it must be true. :eyes:

Interesting that you would necro-fantasize over this topic. Like most of your other anti Cuba fantasies - pretty dark. :freak:

[Divine Discontent]

21. why is the communism in Russia so anti-gay then? sad.

happy for these people, brave and hope they had fun, too!

[closeupready]

22. People with bad personal hygiene who fear sexual encounters with like-situated others?

Who know. :rofl:

[Warren Stupidity]

25. Um - uh - communism in russia ended quite a while ago

and russian communism was not well known for tolerance of anything after about 1923 or so. Cuba has long gone its own way on things.

[livefreest]

24. Republicans and conservatives should learn how other despots and dictators are inclusive. LOL

[No Elephants]

29. Ironically, they see themselves as the polar opposite of folks like Communist dictators and the

Muslim extremists. So, I fear the learning opportunities are severely limited.