English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
He was nicknamed Cusio and he was the laughingstock of all the boys in the school, but entertained us girls with his stories; we loved his taste in clothes and his helpful nature. He was born in a neighborhood where men boasted of being macho, ready to pull a knife if anyone questioned their manhood. … Continue reading “Havana’s First Transgender Wedding / Yoani Sánchez”
The Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland, Argentina, they all got ahead of us, as did even Spain itself, that country of espadrilles and tambourines that our grandparents described as timid and old-fashioned. Gay marriage is also a reality in several jurisdictions in the United States and in Mexico City, home of those … Continue reading “Wendy and Ignacio / Yoani Sánchez”
Wendy Iriepa, originally uploaded by orlandoluispardolazo. First Transgender marriage in the history of Cuba. Ignacio Estrada and Wendy Iriepa. Saturday, August 13, 2011. Mayía Rodríguez Wedding Palace, 3:30 PM. As happens with the great unknown events of the Island. Without a temper tantrum by the Catholic church. Without permission from the party. At the margin … Continue reading “Wendy Iriepa / Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo”
WE ALL LIVE IN A HETERO SUBMARINE Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo The old Club Atelier at 17th and 6th in El Vedado, has been coated with a luxurious Beatlemaniacal iconography. “The Yellow Submarine” it’s called now. And from within is evoked the music of John Lennon sitting without his glasses in the little park next … Continue reading “THE YELLOW SUBGAYRINE / Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo”
On Tuesday the 28th, at three in the afternoon, the first LGTB (Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals and Bisexuals) Observatory Walk took place in Havana, along the middle of the central street of the Prado, starting from the corner of Neptune and continuing to the sea. The date selected recalls the massive gay pride march celebrated in … Continue reading “A Sui Generis Walk / Miriam Celaya”
Translator’s note: This post is a longer version, written for the Huffington Post, of the post that appeared in Yoani’s blog today. The Paseo del Prado displays its beautiful lion sculptures, cast from the ammunition and weapons from our war of independence. When it opened with its broad marble benches and bordering shade trees, it … Continue reading “Gay Pride Parade in Havana / Yoani Sánchez”
I have spent days waiting to see if the official press is going to publish a report, or a snippet, mentioning the fact that Miss Mariela Castro was in Santiago de Cuba as part of the Cuban campaign against homophobia. Since this is not a news blog (and knowing that even if it was I … Continue reading “Against Homophobia vs the Slogans / Luis Felipe Rojas”
The gross behavior of numerous gays provokes ill will in a sector of the Cuban populace. There isn’t a ferocious homophobia on the island, but the priority that they want to give the subject from the highest spheres of power disgusts many. In a country where two meals a day is a true luxury, and … Continue reading “The Subject of Gays Is Not A Priority On the Island / Iván García”
I still can’t believe that the Cuban delegation at the United Nations added its vote to a group of “countries that include homosexuality as a crime under the law, including the application of capital punishment for that reason, in five of them.” I didn’t invent the quoted phrase, it comes from a statement published by … Continue reading “The Market of Silence / Yoani Sánchez”
This is not the first time I felt like telling Mariela Castro* that she should have remained silent. It’s a strange reaction in me, because normally I encourage others to express whatever they want to say. With her, however, it is hard for me, and there is something called decency which — for those who, … Continue reading “The Missteps of the Princess / Claudia Cadelo”
