Cenesex Talks About Political Manipulation and Yusimi Persists

Yusimi González in her interview with Francisco Rodríguez Cruz, as reported by the journalist on his Facebook page.

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14ymedio, Havana, July 16, 2020 – The discussion about the homophobic statements attributed to an official of the Cuban Institute for Radio and Television (ICRT) has prompted the National Center of Sex Education (Cenesex) to make a statement giving a soft rap on the knuckles to Yusimi González Herrera and the organization, whom we’ve invited for a dialogue. In a meeting, González criticized the “affected voices” of some professionals on national radio because they don’t transmit a “credible message” to the audience.

“These last few hours we have become aware of an audio that is circulating on social networks in which Yusimi González Herrera, Director of Communication and Content for the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television and Deputy of the National Assembly of People’s Power, uses expressions that could be considered discriminatory in an analysis about the work of announcers, journalists and collaborators of Cuban radio,” Mariela Castro, Director of Cenesex, published on her Facebook page.

“Our mission and commitment to educate on subjects of sexual and reproductive rights prompt us to speak with the official and her institution. Such situations confirm for us the need to continue our work of training and awareness in the ICRT. Prejudices are not quickly overcome and thus require a permanent formative impact,” adds the text.

For this center, success with the official confirms the importance of “continuing to defend an educative process that sometimes may be more difficult”.

“We go forward together and close the doors to any manipulation that tries to convert these rifts into a political weapon in order to discredit what we are advancing,” concludes the note.

Yusimi González was interviewed by the journalist Francisco Rodríguez Cruz, who has offered a preview of the conversation; the entire text will be posted Thursday on his blog, Paquito de la Cuba.

“I’m sorry that I hurt people with a manipulated audio; really the one who should apologize is the person who manipulated this audio and used it to hurt people, to make them feel excluded and humiliate them to some extent. That never has been the intention of the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television. The Institute works with everybody; it has an inclusive policy,” says the representative in the preview video, which barely lasts two minutes.

González adds that the Institute “wants all its professionals, whatever their specialties, independently of their sexual orientation or any limitation or disability they have, to come into what is their house, which always receives everyone when they come to construct, unite and dignify a social project.”

The leaked audio generated a wide rejection in the LGBTI community on the Island, and some on social networks even have asked that the official be fired after this incident.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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