Cuba to legalize gay marriage while UK backs away?

BY ROB SALERNO – Mariela Castro, the daughter of Cuban President Raul Castro, says that Cuba could pass a same-sex marriage law this year, given legislation currently under consideration in the national parliament.

Mariela Castro is the country’s premier sexologist and has long been a vocal advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans rights in Cuba. She’d like the country to go even further than gay marriage and pass a law similar to one Argentina passed last week, which gives trans people the right to change their sex on their official documents.

Meanwhile, across the pond, it appears that UK Prime Minister David Cameron has quietly dropped plans to legalize gay marriage in that country by 2015, following stiff opposition from his own backbench MPs and the Catholic lobby. While the Home Office is still “consulting” on the issue, according to its website, it seems Cameron is planning to stop talking about it altogether. Even this week’s throne speech didn’t include any mention of it.

Rob Salerno is a playwright and journalist whose writing has appeared in such publications as Vice, Advocate, NOW and OutTraveler.

Keep Reading

Job discrimination against trans and non-binary people is alive and well

OPINION: A study reveals that we have a long way to go to reach workplace equality for trans and non-binary people

The new generation of gay Conservative sellouts

OPINION: Melissa Lantsman’s and Eric Duncan’s refusals to call out their party’s transphobia is a betrayal of the LGBTQ2S+ community

Over 300 anti-LGBTQ2S+ bills have been introduced this year. This doesn’t mean we should panic

OPINION: While it’s important to watch out for threats, not all threats are created equally. Some of these bills will die a natural death

Xtra’s top LGBTQ2S+ stories of the year

The best and brightest—even most bewildering—stories from a back catalogue brimming with insight