Cuba has held parades against homophobia for the last 11 years
HAVANA, May 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) – The Cuban government has cancelled the country’s 12th annual march against homophobia.
In a Facebook post, the state-run National Centre for Sex Education (CENESEX) blamed “new tensions in the international and regional context” for the cancellation.
Activists have condemned the move and questioned the government’s motives.
Cuba was set to approve same-sex marriage under a new constitution, but removed the clause after protests.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel publicly backed the change in September, saying it was “part of eliminating any type of discrimination in society”.
But the government backtracked after an outcry from religious groups.
Cuba holds events at this time every year to mark the International Day Against Homophobia on May 17.
CENESEX posted on Facebook that it was officially cancelling the Cuban Conga against Homophobia and Transphobia “in compliance with the policy of the Party, the State and the Revolution”.
The group is led by Mariela Castro, daughter of the Communist Party of Cuba’s leader Raúl Castro.
No specific reasons were given for the change, with the post blaming “certain circumstances that do not help [the march’s] successful development”.
However, only the conga itself is cancelled, with other events going ahead as planned to mark LGBT rights.
Discrimination due to someone’s sex or gender is illegal in Cuba. — NNN-AGENCIES
