A recent study highlights the challenges faced by lesbians in Cuba due to the lack of political will from the Cuban state to implement strategies aimed at achieving gender equality. Despite the existence of laws purportedly supportive of the LGBTQ+ community, these laws often fail to mention or protect lesbians, leading to their marginalization.
Key Findings from the Study
1. Political Will and Public Policies: The study, titled “If We Are Not Mentioned, We Do Not Exist: Lesbophobia in Cuba,” was sponsored by the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Raza e Igualdad) and sheds light on the Cuban government’s inadequate commitment to gender equality. Yennys Hernández Molina, an LGBTQ+ activist, emphasizes that without concrete public policies and actions, mere laws cannot transform society. The absence of comprehensive sexual education in schools further demonstrates the lack of political will beyond mere political rhetoric.
2. Invisibility in Legislation: María Matienzo, the primary author, points out that laws such as the Family Code and Assisted Reproduction Regulations do not specifically mention lesbians, thereby creating a legal void. This omission stigmatizes the term “lesbian” and results in their exclusion from legal protections and rights, allowing others to occupy spaces meant for them.
3. Historical Context and Social Exclusion: The report, co-authored by Annery Rivera, Lisy Romero, and Zuleika Rivera, reveals a historical trajectory of ridiculing and pathologizing lesbians in Cuba. There are no openly lesbian women in significant political positions, and being a lesbian activist in Cuba requires extra effort to be acknowledged.
4. Marginalization Within the LGBTQ+ Community: The study finds that lesbians are often marginalized even within LGBTQ+ spaces. A significant number of respondents in focus groups felt unrepresented in these spaces. Alarmingly, 69.1% of lesbian or sapphic women reported experiencing homophobia, with many normalizing the violence they faced.
5. Forms of Lesbophobia: Lesbophobia manifests in various forms, from social rejection and discrimination to extreme violence, including lesbicides. The study cites an incident in Buenos Aires where a man attacked four women with a homemade explosive, highlighting the extreme end of lesbophobic violence.
6. Government’s Image vs. Reality: Despite the government’s attempts to portray an inclusive image, the reality is starkly different. The way statistics are collected in Cuba is very binary, overlooking sexual dissidents. The lack of public data on sexual minorities prevents the development of effective policies to combat lesbophobia.
7. Silencing and Underrepresentation: The study also identifies those who perpetrate violence against lesbians and the lack of representation of black lesbian women in surveys, which reflects broader societal biases and stigmas.
8. Historical Reconstruction: Matienzo discusses the historical context of gender diversity suppression under the Castro regime, emphasizing the deep-rooted patriarchal and dictatorial influences that continue to impact Cuban society today.
Conclusion: The report underscores the urgent need for comprehensive public policies and societal change to address lesbophobia in Cuba. It highlights the silence pact between the civil society and lesbians, suggesting a conditional tolerance that requires them to remain inconspicuous.
Read the full article in English on martinoticias.com, assisted by Google Translate.