Cuba Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage Despite "Unusually Strong Open Resistance"

Cuba recently held a vote on a sweeping Family Law Code that not only redefines the rights of children and grandparents but also legalizes marriage for same-sex couples. With over 94% of the votes already counted, it looks like the new law will pass.

The sweeping national referendum had an unusually strong opposition on the island, according to the Associated Press. However, despite this, the president of the National Electoral Council, Alina Balseiro Gutierrez, told state media that 66.9% of eligible voters voted in favor of the bill, while 33.1% voted against it.

Strong Opposition in Cuba to Referendum

While Cuba's Communist government had long repressed any opposition to its policies, the referendum has experienced "unusually strong open resistance" from the growing evangelical movement in Cuba, as well as other more conservative Cubans.

The heavy opposition to the measure was reflected in the vote, as referendums usually have victory margins of over 90% in Cuba, while this one only contained a little over 65% of the total vote.

The new family code would allow surrogate pregnancies, as well as broader rights for grandparents. It also has measures for protecting the elderly, as well as measures against gender violence, so it is not all LGBTQ-related.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel heavily promoted the bill's passage but acknowledged the questions surrounding the referendum. He correctly predicted that most people will vote in favor of it, though he acknowledged that "it still has issues that our society as a whole does not understand."

Following its passage, the Cuban president stated, "Love is now the law." He added it will "pay a debt to various generations of Cubans whose domestic plans had been waiting years for this law." This is in reference to the discrimination that LGBTQ people have faced in the country for decades.

Cuba's Parliament, the National Assembly, had been debating such reforms for years. There is still a strong strain of social conservatism in Cuba, with many religious leaders worried that it could weaken nuclear families in the country.

Raul Castro's Daughter Heavily Pushed for Referendum

One of the loudest voices backing the referendum in Cuba is Fidel Castro's niece and the daughter of former President Raul Castro, Mariela Castro. She is a prominent gay rights activist in Cuba, according to Fox News, and has pushed proposals to modify the family code for almost a decade.

She is also the current director of the National Center for Sex Education and has been one of the biggest factors in the bill's passage.

Her plans hit a snag in 2018 when Cuban legislators abandoned provisions that would have legalized same-sex marriage. CNN reported that there were fears of a homophobic backlash should a referendum be passed.

Despite a prominent member of the Castro family backing the LGBTQ movement, Cuban authorities broke up a peaceful LGBTQ rights parade in 2019. The country has long repressed such movements, with Fox News noting that Cuba had banned such parades in the past.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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