Gays not allowed to join the Communist Party?

[Karl Marx's Camel]

Àccording to the Wikipedia article Human Rights in Cuba (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Cuba#Persecution_of_Gays)


Homosexuals are not permitted to join the Communist Party, because being gay is assumed to be contrary to communist ethics.

It also says:



Homosexuality can have an adverse impact on a person's professional career in a society where all senior appointments depend on membership in the country's sole legal party. Cuba tolerates neither [[lesbian]] nor gay [[newspaper]]s, nor [[LGBT]] organisations. The [[Cuban Association of Gays and Lesbians]], formed in 1994, was suppressed in 1997 and its members were arrested. Being gay is illegal if it causes a "public offence"; this vague law alas led to the arrest of men who are effeminate.


Would someone clarify if this is true or not?

I would also like to know if homosexuals have any legal rights as a minority.

[Intifada]

Homophobic policies existed only in Cuba, prior to recent times, because of Latin American cultural machismo. This has since faded away and has been challenged by the state.

In 1979 homosexual acts were decriminalised in Cuba (unlike in many capitalist countries). In 1987 the offence of "homosexual acts in public places" was removed from Cuba's penal code. In fact the age of consent for homosexuals in Cuba is 16 years, the same as for heterosexuals. In 1993 sex education workshops on homosexuality were run throughout the country, in order to explain that homophobia is a prejudice.

At the same time Fidel Castro declared:

I don't consider homosexuality to be a phenomenon of degeneration... [I consider] it to be one of the natural aspects and tendencies of human beings which should be respected. I am absolutely opposed to any form of repression, contempt, scorn or discrimination with regard to homosexuals.

In the very same year - "Strawberry and Chocolate" - the first Cuban film to deal openly with homosexuality, was released and became hugely popular. It was the only film funded by the government that year.

In 1995, the May Day march was led by drag queens who were cheered along the whole route.

So yeah, I wouldn't take everything that Wikipedia says about Cuba without a pinch of salt.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

Thank you. This is all very useful information.

But I still wonder:
Are homosexuals permitted to join the Communist Party?

Why were the members of the Cuban Association of Gays and Lesbians, arrested?

[Zapata]

many hispanic and caribbean cultures have traditionally had a strong sense of homophobia, as shown in jamaica. this is just starting to change now, or not at all. considering cuba's poitical stance on most issues similar to homosexuality, wikipedia's article is probably outdated.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

Would someone answer these two questions?


And Intifada, would you mind adding some of what you stated to Wikipedia, in order to balance up against the anti-homophobic claims?

Regards,
A loving NWOG

[Severian]

Here's one frequent visitor to Havana who says there's no such restriction. (http://archives.econ.utah.edu/archives/marxism/2002w47/msg00339.htm) But I don't know if there's a definitive answer out there to that question.

The organization may have been shut down simply for being, y'know, unauthorized, and reflect more a certain level of political repression rather than homophobia.

Here's the text of the Cuban penal code (http://archives.econ.utah.edu/archives/marxism/2002w47/msg00141.htm) that's apparently referred to; as the poster says there's a question of whether it's enforced.

ARTÍCULO 303. Se sanciona con privación de libertad de tres meses a un año o
multa de cien a trescientas cuotas al que:

a) importune a otro con requerimientos homosexuales;

My Spanish is far from perfect but I guess the offense is "make a homosexual advance towards another." That's apparently an amendment of a statute which used to be more repressive.

An excellent look at the overall situation with gay rights in Cuba (http://www.blythe.org/arenas.html)

[Intifada]

(NWOG)

And Intifada, would you mind adding some of what you stated to Wikipedia, in order to balance up against the anti-homophobic claims?


Well, I have never added anything to Wikipedia before.

I know that you have added information on that website, so you can take what I wrote and add it yourself, if you want.

[OleMarxco]

This is typical Capitalist-attempt's at discarding our ideology as inhumane and, SIC! Reactionary. They should motherfuckin' speak for themselves, it's naturally for a -COUNTRY- to be a bit "odd-eyed" against it at first, but it HAS CHANGED. Get off Cuba's nuts, it has nothin' to do with the ideology, really :P

[Karl Marx's Camel]

What I intended to write did not come out as I wanted it to be. My intentin was to say "would you have something against me adding what you stated".

But OleMarxco, perhaps we should look at how Cuba really is, instead of always blaming "capitalists".

[Intifada]

Originally posted by [email protected] 24 2005, 08:14 PM
What I intended to write did not come out as I wanted it to be. My intentin was to say "would you have something against me adding what you stated".
If you are writing to me, then no of course I don't mind you posting what I wrote.

By all means do add it.

[Xvall]

Intifada's statements are now in the Wikipedia definition challenging the above statement.