Mariela Castro, the daughter of President Raul Castro and niece of Fidel Castro, gave the thumbs-down to a workers' rights bill that she felt didn't go far enough to prevent discrimination against people with HIV or with unconventional gender identities.
While it is the first time in living memory that anybody can remember a lawmaker voting against a bill, critics say the vote has more to do with Castro's unassailable position, rather than a changing attitude towards democracy on the island...
Daily Mail.
Fagburn is astounded how many British journalists are experts on the Cuban parliamentary system and its history.
This is a much-regurgitated Associated Press story all quoting the same American 'experts', about a bill outlawing workplace discrimination based on gender, race, and sexual orientation.
Which went further than any similar US legislation, incidentally.
Which went further than any similar US legislation, incidentally.
As this was such big news here I asked Cenesex - Cuba's National Centre for Sexual Education - for a statement.
They said they were a bit confused as the vote took place in December - it's also not exceptional.
But you can't trust these people, they are GODLESS COMMUNISTS!
Anyway here's Mariela Castro's latest statement...
The recent publication in the Official Gazette, Act 116 of the Labour Code, has raised strong criticism associated with the no inclusion of gender identity as one of the reasons against discrimination. These critics, as it was stated in the First Conference of the Communist Party of Cuba, highlight a growing sensitivity in Cuban society regarding the related-issues with the rights and the fight against any kind of discrimination, including gender identity. This situation requires the full attention of our society, and warns about the need to strength the work of the citizens and their representatives to achieve these goals.
From my point of view, it means that this is part of the creative tensions of any revolutionary process. Revolutionizing is not to face the newness by a hit; it is to analyze contradictions, overcome hegemonic social imaginaries that have stigmatized for centuries many people suffering the consequences from social exclusion, it is to work for social structures, including concrete actions, to realize the political will expressed in the Cuban Communist Party documents, and it is working to review the mechanisms on which we build ourselves as historical subjects, from where we produce and reproduce what emancipates and alienates us. Revolutionizing is a brave and generous act that allows us to recognize the contradictions to strengthen our critical awareness in favor of revolutionary social transformation.
I still keep in mind that discrimination based on gender identity remains pending in our legislation, so I applaud the revolutionary critical journalism that has been doing its best contributions. The permanent and committed self-criticism must lead us to keep fighting for what we believe is just enough and necessary for building an emancipated society.
As a committed citizen with this historical project and from my professional and institutional responsibility, I take charge of transmitting more and more clearly the reflections that help our people to discuss about these issues, to keep moving forward in our hopes to conquer all justice.
They said they were a bit confused as the vote took place in December - it's also not exceptional.
But you can't trust these people, they are GODLESS COMMUNISTS!
The recent publication in the Official Gazette, Act 116 of the Labour Code, has raised strong criticism associated with the no inclusion of gender identity as one of the reasons against discrimination. These critics, as it was stated in the First Conference of the Communist Party of Cuba, highlight a growing sensitivity in Cuban society regarding the related-issues with the rights and the fight against any kind of discrimination, including gender identity. This situation requires the full attention of our society, and warns about the need to strength the work of the citizens and their representatives to achieve these goals.
From my point of view, it means that this is part of the creative tensions of any revolutionary process. Revolutionizing is not to face the newness by a hit; it is to analyze contradictions, overcome hegemonic social imaginaries that have stigmatized for centuries many people suffering the consequences from social exclusion, it is to work for social structures, including concrete actions, to realize the political will expressed in the Cuban Communist Party documents, and it is working to review the mechanisms on which we build ourselves as historical subjects, from where we produce and reproduce what emancipates and alienates us. Revolutionizing is a brave and generous act that allows us to recognize the contradictions to strengthen our critical awareness in favor of revolutionary social transformation.
I still keep in mind that discrimination based on gender identity remains pending in our legislation, so I applaud the revolutionary critical journalism that has been doing its best contributions. The permanent and committed self-criticism must lead us to keep fighting for what we believe is just enough and necessary for building an emancipated society.
As a committed citizen with this historical project and from my professional and institutional responsibility, I take charge of transmitting more and more clearly the reflections that help our people to discuss about these issues, to keep moving forward in our hopes to conquer all justice.
Oh, and here's an interview with her after last year's vote.
PS The centre photo comes from a series Queerty published Monday, The Secret Homoerotic Lives Of Cuban Men.
Though as all the men were quite happy to have their photos taken and published, Fagburn isn't sure how they can be said to be living 'secret' lives, but that's Americans' rather odd worldview for you.
The photographer, Kobi Israel's last book was a collection of photos of 'hot' members of the Israeli Defence Force, make of that and this what you will.
And finally... a belated happy 88th birthday to Fidel Castro last Wednesday. x
PS The centre photo comes from a series Queerty published Monday, The Secret Homoerotic Lives Of Cuban Men.
Though as all the men were quite happy to have their photos taken and published, Fagburn isn't sure how they can be said to be living 'secret' lives, but that's Americans' rather odd worldview for you.
The photographer, Kobi Israel's last book was a collection of photos of 'hot' members of the Israeli Defence Force, make of that and this what you will.
And finally... a belated happy 88th birthday to Fidel Castro last Wednesday. x
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