"You never get bored in Cuba," according to Alberto Roque Guerra, a physician and LGBT activist who spoke at a gathering sponsored by Gay Liberation Network and Chicago ALBA Solidarity Committee.
Cuba has had a complex relationship with its LGBT citizens, explained Guerra in the talk, held Sept. 1 at Nookies Tree Restaurant, 3334 N. Halsted St. They have historically suffered from homophobia on the part of its government and fellow residents, but have made great strides in acceptance in recent years. But that progress comes very slowly.
Guerra gave an overview of gay life in the island nation, tracing back to its days as a Spanish colony when homosexuals were the only minority to be discriminated against there under the auspices of the Inquisition. The idea of machismo, he said, has for centuries influenced how Cuban citizens think about gays, and has been a key source in all problems relating to sexual identity.
"Machismo is present in all societies," according to Guerra. "Cuba is not an exception."
Gays were classified as pederasts up until the late 19th century. That perception gradually gave way, but LGBTs continued to face discrimination through the 1900s, he added, even as Cuba was supposedly modernized throughout the '20s and '30s. "During the 20th century, if you were a homosexual, you were not a 'good Cuban.' … You were a second-class citizen."
Homophobia only got worse in the years immediately following the revolution that brought Fidel Castro into power, as homosexuality was regarded as a hedonistic symptom of capitalism. Guerra said that the communist party, machismo, poor sex education and the medical profession all contributed to homophobia throughout the 1960s. Gay Cubans were not allowed to take part in the arts nor in educational capacities at the time.
"Officials were trying to erase our past," he said.
Discrimination ebbed-and-flowed over the decades; various bans were lifted and reinstated, then lifted again, depending on political sentiment. The nation has been relatively aggressive in both caring for persons with HIV/AIDS and trying to prevent new infections, while its National Center for Sex Education ( CENESEX ), headed by Mariela Castro, daughter of leader Raul Castro, promotes tolerance of LGBTs; Guerra is an instructor at CENESEX. In 2010, Fidel Castro apologized and took responsibility for the discrimination under his watch.
But much work remains to be done there, Guerra said, noting that homophobia often intersects with other issues such as racism. On May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, LGBT communities march not to show pride, but to show their outrage against their historical oppression. "Current laws don't account for our very complex Cuban reality."
Though many tensions between the U.S. and Cuba have melted, an embargo is still in place against the island nation, and that's left both countries in a "David and Goliath" relationship, according to Guerra, who noted that LGBTs in Cuba would like to see the embargo lifted as much as any other resident.
"We suffer from a shortness of goods … and [having] access to a postmodern life," he said.
