Cuba IDAHO Report 2013

The island saw activities around the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia spread over more than a week. Highlights included community panels, theatre, cultural galas, lectures, symposia, workshops, art exhibitions, shows, presentations, book launches, video panels, debates and street demonstrations.

Report also available in Spanish.
A gala against homophobia was held at the Karl Marx theatre. Among the guests this year were international experts such as the British sociologist Jeffrey Weeks and the Mexican sexologist Rinna Riesenfeld. A high profile IDAHO conference was held, as well as a main activity in the province of Ciego de Avila, on May 17 – a large scale demonstration which evidenced the ‘sexual diversity of the island and the wish that more Cubans can freely exercise their sexual orientation or gender identity.’ The year’s commemorations were also marked, on May 14, with a parade though the streets of Havana. Once again Mariela Castro, the daughter of Cuba’s president Raul Castro, led the parade out, and affirmed that more must be done to raise awareness about lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender people.

12 days of activities marked the commemorations in Cuba. In this, Gilberto Diez, right, applies makeup
to Dayan Sanchez, 25, a gay artist known as Venus in preparation for a drag show in Havana, May 15.