CIENFUEGOS, Cuba, May 17. The director of the National Center for Sexual Education, Mariela Castro Espin, exchanged with students, professors, artists and media representatives of the province of Cienfuegos, national venue for the week against homophobia.

Castro Espin gave participants details about a new project that will be introduced in higher education programs and summer and winter courses to promote sexual health among the youth. She also said CENEX is training community activists to fight for sexual rights.

The specialist declared sententiously that Cuba is a patriarchal and homophobic country as a result of prejudices imposed by a culture that dominated the island for many centuries such as the Spanish one. She said such social patterns were deeply rooted in Cuba and passed on from one
generation to the next.

Castro Espin said the current campaign against homophobia in Cuba seeks to promote a horizontal dialogue in which viewpoints, concerns and suggestions are heard and also to provide answers to questions, in a gradual process within human relations.

The meeting, held at the Conrado Benitez University of Pedagogic Sciences, was attended by hundreds of students from different universities of the province.

Asmiel Alvariño, on the psycho-pedagogic program, asked Castro Espin about her thoughts on why sometimes people who have been in a heterosexual relationship for years, change to being homosexual.

According to Castro Espin, many people get married before having defined their sexual orientation, and then after the adolescence they discover other interests and likes, also, men and women repress their sexual preferences fearing criticism from their social environment, but later, -even after they’ve had children -, they decide to come to terms with their sexual orientation. 

Spanish professor Ernesto Gutierrez, who attended the meeting accompanied by his wife, said love relationships should always be supported no matter the sexual orientation and said people should take May 17, the Day for the fight against homophobia, as an opportunity to celebrate, increase the knowledge, and promote tolerance of other people’s interests.

Activities in favor of sexual diversity will continue in Cienfuegos on Thursday, including parades, shows, a concert and forum about the topic on social networks. (acn)

Intercambio popular en la jornada cubana contra la homofobia