Gay Havana Tastes Freedom

Pink Planet finds big changes in Cuba's capital city. The Toronto Star version is shorter, so I've pasted the full story below

HAVANA, CUBA—We arrive before midnight. My local friend walks two blocks in front of me to avoid arousing police suspicion that he could be a straight hustler. Our destination is a bar called Habaneciendo, where the marquee advertises, “Estrellita Jaime Jimenez.” It’s early for a night out, even on a Tuesday. Eventually gay Cuban men of all ages fill the small space, talking over the romantic music videos. An hour later, the show begins with Chantal, a cross between Dolly Parton and Wonder Woman, who inspires the audience to sing along and tuck plenty of money into the front of her dress.

Five years ago, on my last visit to Cuba, this scene would have been unthinkable. Back then, most parties were illegal and were held in secret locations under the constant threat of police raids.

Friday brings more surprises, when friends and I head for Café Cantante, in the back of the National Theatre, on the highly symbolic Plaza of the Revolution. Tonight is the one year anniversary of a disco night called, El Divino. Hundreds of men file in, undergoing a rigorous security check and full-body frisking, which, locals assure me, is also common at straight events. The show features an operatic soprano doing Ave Maria, followed by a drag queen called Maridalia, who sweats profusely from her back, followed by hours of dancing.

On Sunday night, I return with my Canadian friends to Habaneciendo for an event publicized by a woman named Milagros. Along with the gay men, there are more lesbians than I’ve ever seen together in one place in Cuba. They cut in on our dances, ask for drinks and drag us around the bar to meet their friends. One of our group suddenly finds herself cornered by a hefty woman sporting a bandana who wants a kiss.

Events, and lesbian dramas like this can happen more openly now, partly because of the changes wrought by the daughter of President Raúl Castro. Mariela Castro Espín is the director of CENESEX, the government’s National Centre for Sex Education. Influenced by her feminist mother, Mariela (who locals refer to by her first name, like they do with her father and her uncle, Fidel) has helped bring in a number of progressive laws, some of which would put Canada and the U.S. to shame. In 2008, Cuba announced that gender reassignment surgery would be performed free of charge for transsexuals who qualify. Only a few dozen individuals have qualified and about ten operations have taken place so far.

Mariela has been working on same-sex partnership recognition for some time now, and continues to say that one day it will become a reality, though some Cubans expressed their doubts to me. Mariela has also spearheaded celebrations of the International Day Against Homophobia with a parade in Havana, an outdoor drag show in Santa Clara, and other events.

As with any legal Cuban gatherings, these are the work of government agencies. Online, there are reports of non-government events, like the Mr Gay Havana Contest, encountering fierce opposition. Organizations such as the Reinaldo Arenas LGBT Memorial Foundation are reportedly persecuted and accused of being controlled by anti-Cuban U.S. interests. According to The Friends of Cuban Libraries, the Foundation was screening a documentary film at a private gay library in November 2010, when the police broke in and arrested participants.

Still, my gay Cuban friends, who were much more critical of the government five years ago, speak of Mariela in glowing terms. They quote her statements from TV interviews, where she describes LGBT people as “partners in the revolution.”

Next month: the gay-friendly city that no-one’s heard of, in the middle of Cuba.

SIDE BAR

Accommodations
The best way to find out about local events and meeting places is to stay at a gay-friendly Casa Particular such as the award-winning Casa Aleido in Central Havana (www.cuba-junky.com/havana/casa-aleido.htm). Gay casa hosts can update you on the constantly shifting venues and dates. Parties which were once advertised by people in front of the Cine Yara are now publicized via cell phone text messages, which makes it essential to have local contacts. Ask about the roving Pink Party.

Women’s events are known as Fiestas de Milagros and Fiestas de Lila, depending on who is organizing them. Check at Habaneciendo, on the north side of Neptuno Street, just east of Italia Avenue. Habaneciendo is the back space of the more famous Casa de la Música Centro Habana.

Incongruous with Cuba’s progress is the controversial UN vote in November 2010, when Cuba voted to remove “sexual orientation” from the list of categories under which people are unfairly targeted for extrajudicial executions. After an international uproar, the vote was repeated on December 22 and the original language restored, with Cuba’s support.

(c) Julia Steinecke 2011