Article 42 of the current Constitution of the Republic of Cuba establishes that “all persons are equal before the law, receive the same protection and treatment from the authorities, and enjoy the same rights, freedoms and opportunities”. The constitutional text guarantees non-discrimination “for reasons of sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ethnic origin, skin color, religious belief, disability, national or territorial origin, or any other condition or personal circumstance that implies a distinction harmful to human dignity”. However, at the national level it is known that the transgender population is one of the most vulnerable to various forms of discrimination and violence. For more than a decade, CENESEX has reported that it is working on a draft Gender Identity Law that, among other rights, must guarantee the change of identity or transition process for trans people.
Even the new Family Code, expected for more than two decades, is not enough for the current demands of this community, although it undoubtedly brings important benefits for the Cuban LGBTIQ+ community. However, a Comprehensive Gender Law is necessary in Cuba where the protection of trans children is reflected, which makes it possible to assert the sexual identity of transgender people through actions such as changing their data in official documents, punishment in the face of discrimination labor or of other natures; In short, it is necessary that the rights of trans people to freely express their gender identity be respected. In this context, demanding a Gender Identity Law is not only a battle for the trans community, it is a battle for those who believe that a better world is possible.
Precisely with all these claims last Friday happened in The brandat the initiative of Mel Herrera, Cuban writer and LGBTIQ+ activist, a Festival for the International Day of Transgender Visibility; a space full of emotions and above all necessary; a day where the diversity in which Cuba lives today was exposed.
