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Gay Rights Parade in Cuba

Photo credit: Franklin Reyes

Ever since I visited Cuba for two weeks in 2006 (see pictures on Flickr) I have been interested in the island, especially in the progress of the nascent LGBT rights movement I interacted with while there.

Today comes multiple news reports of a march in the Vedado section of Havana (which is where I stayed) in support of gay rights in honor of tomorrow's International Day Against Homophobia.

A lot of the progress is due to Mariela Castro, President Raul Castro's daughter, who has long been an advocate for LGBT equality in Cuba. She was quoted by the Associated Press saying "We have made progress, but we need to make more progress,"

Hat/tip to Rod 2.0.

Obama Administration Lifts Some Cuba Travel Restrictions

The Obama Administration has announced that they are making some minor changes to the current restrictions on contacts with the Communist island nation of Cuba. According to the Huffington Post:

In a measured break with a half-century of U.S. policy toward communist Cuba, the Obama administration lifted restrictions Monday on Cuban-Americans who want to travel and send money to their island homeland.

In a further gesture of openness, U.S. telecommunications firms were freed to seek business there, too. But the broader U.S. trade embargo remained in place.

The White House portrayed its changes, which fulfilled one of President Barack Obama's campaign promises, as a path to promoting personal freedom in one of the few remaining communist nations. They also marked another major step away from the foreign policy priorities of the Bush administration.

But the moves fell far short of the more drastic policy adjustments that some _ including Republican Sen. Richard Lugar _ have argued are required to promote U.S. interests in Latin America and to bring about change in Cuba. For most Americans, Cuba remains the only country in the world their government prohibits them from visiting _ a barrier to potential travelers as well as to the Cuban tourist industry that would like to see them.

Washington Note blogger Steve Clemons was not impressed.

So, applause for the Cuban-American oriented efforts. Better than nothing -- but not nearly enough. And the precedent is worrisome and disconcerting.

We did not open up relations with Vietnam by restricting travel to Vietnamese-Americans. We really should not be doing this with Cuba either.

What is happening is that Barack Obama has started the ball moving forward -- and is opening up something he knows many will find completely unacceptable and discriminatory.

Separate is not equal -- and that is what Barack Obama's team has just moved forward.

[...]

Obama has also eased up restrictions on humanitarian gifts and packages to Cuba -- which was really needed after the recent devastating hurricanes this past year. Humanitarian relief has been something we should have eased long ago -- and this was a good step.

Now, my hunch is that Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod see that they have "done enough" to check off the boxes for what they have promised the right wing, moderates, and even left wing of the Cuban-American community that felt collectively strangled by the tightness of the Bush administration restrictions.

As one of the few Americans who have visited Cuba on an academic travel waiver to participate in a conference and do research on the teaching of mathematics in secondary schools I completely agree with Steve Clemons, who is a well-known foreign policy expert on Latin America and the Caribbean.

Interestingly, the policy was announced just days before President Obama travels to Trinidad and Tobago for the 5th Summit of the Americas (in which Cuba is not allowed to participate) this weekend.

Cuba Gay Pride Parade Apparently Suppressed

Towleroad has the first reports of a government crackdown of a scheduled June 25th gay pride parade in Havana, Cuba.

According to Ambiente, The Cuban Commission on Human Rights for people with HIV and Sexual Races, the Cuban League against AIDS, Elena Mederos Foundation, The Foundation LGTB Reinaldo Arenas in Memoriam, Elena Mederos Foundation, the Cuban Movement for Gay Liberation, the Havana Transsexual Collective, Havana LGTB Cultural Center and the Organization of Gay Political Presidio Reinaldo Arenas were all expected to participate in the march."

It was to begin in the "Don Quixote" park in the neighborhood of Vedado and march to the Ministry of Justice "with the goal of delivering their demands to the Castro government," according to Ambiente. Demands included the cessation of violence and repression against Cuban homosexuals, and an apology to the Cuban people for the introduction in the 60's of UMAP concentration camps (Military Units to Aid Production) that were created by the dictator Fidel Castro, to suppress and punish homosexuals and the religious youth who opposed his Marxist ideology.

The latest news comes from a Miami Herald story which confirms that Cuban gay activists were detained in an attempt to prevent the gay rights parade from happening.

Fidel Castro Is No Longer President of Cuba

Ever since Mad Professah visited Cuba two years ago for two weeks I have been interested in the island nation and a strong advocate of ending the mindless American embargo. One of the reasons I am supporting Barack Obama for president is that he shares my position while his opponent would basically continue the current failed policy. Yesterday it was announced that 81-year-old Fidel Castro has stepped down as President and Commander in Chief of Cuba. In a letter which originally appeared in Granma (the official newspaper of the Communist Part of Cuba) and also in today's New York Times, Castro wrote:

[...]

To my dearest compatriots, who have recently honored me so much by electing me a member of the Parliament where so many agreements should be adopted of utmost importance to the destiny of our Revolution, I am saying that I will neither aspire to nor accept, I repeat, I will neither aspire to nor accept the positions of President of the State Council and Commander in Chief.

[...]

The path will always be difficult and require from everyone's intelligent effort ... The adversary to be defeated is extremely strong; however, we have been able to keep it at bay for half a century.

This is not my farewell to you. My only wish is to fight as a soldier in the battle of ideas. I shall continue to write under the heading of 'Reflections by comrade Fidel.' It will be just another weapon you can count on. Perhaps my voice will be heard. I shall be careful.

Thanks.

Fidel Castro Ruz

The reaction in Miami's Little Havana has been muted. The Cuban Legislature will meet this weekend to select a new President, which is expected to be Fidel's brother, Raul.