Despite the perception by corporate western media that Cuba is some dystopian authoritarian wasteland, the island nation just passed a historic referendum.
Monday, Cubans took to the polls and passed a landmark family law code that would allow same-sex couples in the country to marry and adopt children. Additionally, the referendum also would promote the equal sharing of domestic responsibilities between men and women.
The measure — which contains more than 400 articles — was approved by 66.9% to 33.1%, the president of the National Electoral Council, Alina Balseiro Gutiérrez, told official news media, though returns from a few places remained to be counted.
The reforms had met unusually strong open resistance from the growing evangelical movement in Cuba — and many other Cubans — despite an extensive government campaign in favor of the measure, including thousands of informative meetings across the country and extensive media coverage backing it.
Associated Press
Again, despite the perception, Cuba has been a very forward-thinking country when it comes to LGBTQ rights. LGBTQ individuals have been allowed to serve openly in the military since 1993. Meanwhile, since 1989 the government has established and funded the National Center for Sex Education which advocates for sexual diversity while also promoting the rights of the LGBTQ community.
