Evangelical Homophobia in Cuba

[Norman Alexander]

I suspect this program has not reduced the prevalence of toxic masculinity in Cuba one bit. Nor was it expected to.

 

[dann]

The program has only just begun!
The new family law passed in September.
And much has happened since Cuba decriminalized homosexuality (1979), started criticizing Latino machismo in the 1990s (see Strawberry and Chocolate (Wikipedia) as an example), and Fidel Castro apologized for the homophobia prevalent in Cuba even after the revolution: Fidel Castro takes blame for persecution of Cuban gays (Aug 31, 2010).
It didn't hurt the process that a (Raúl) Castro daughter became the head of Cuba's National Centre for Sex Education.

All in all, I think you can find worse places in the USA, in this respect.

I can recommend this article by Conner Gorry, New Yorker, writer, feminist, living in Cuba since 2002, and the owner of an English-language bookstore and café in Havana:
Toxic Masculinity: “This is Normal in Cuba” (Here Is Havana, July 14, 2023)

 

[dann]

Toxic Masculinity: “This is Normal in Cuba” (Here Is Havana, July 14, 2023 2022)

FTFM

 

[dann]

PS
Since this is Religion and Philosophy: Conner Gorry mentions the role of Evangelicals a couple of times in her article.

 

[8enotto]

The RCC and it's many branches are quite concerned about the numbers game. Older members die off as younger people drift away from being actively religious in that same family.
When I married the pre marriage councler guy stressed many times we must bring our children up in this very church we were at.
He is long dead, i was told it's a very reduced mass schedule there now. But still very picturesque for weddings and events.
The churches of my youth are mostly closed and some sold off. Dwindling membership and costs of maintenance didn't balance well, the dream was over.
After leaving my family home at 18 my participation ended near totally.

Our son has never seen that church.

The JW cult has that same issue. I get entire libraries of books and study guides coming in as paper recycle. Even that sacred bible tossed in because the kids are just cleaning house after a funeral. It's usually quite a few boxes.
Trust me, they have quite the extensive library to choose from in every aspect of "knowledge" about the bible.
I even saved a copy of the book that would teach me how to preach it more effectively, because those don't come in often.

 

[dann]

The irony is that in Cuba, the RCC is kept alive by its very unofficial affiliation with Afro-Cuban Santeria, which doesn't seem to be losing ground. The tougher conditions get, the more people's need for religion grows, and Cubans of all ages and ethnicities tend to resort to Santeria rather than the more formalized, institutionalized religions of European or Middle Eastern origins.

In a way, you could say that the U.S. blockade of Cuba benefits Santeria, which, as I mentioned as early as in the OP, is much more accommodating to LGBTQs than many Christian denominations.

This is probably an important part of the reason why a majority of Cubans voted for the new family law in September 2022 - in spite of opposition from some Cuban machos (see post 22) and Evangelical groups: The new Cuban legislation on the family is ‘harmful for families and the nation’ (Evangelical Focus, May 3, 2022).

By the way, it is obvious why USAID and Cuban ex-pat groups in Miami love the Evangelicals:

The state of faith-based activism in Latin America — particularly in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela — ties together two important topics that are high on the Administration’s, and therefore USAID’s, priority list.
(...)
In countries like Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, we incorporate the faith-based community into our activities, particularly into our democracy, governance, and human rights programming.
We support religious leaders who protect and defend human rights through leadership and advocacy training, workshops on how to report abuses, and by aiding individuals and their families facing persecution.
USAID also provides basic needs assistance to religious activists that have been persecuted because of their attempts to practice their faith.
A-A/AID’s Participation in the Outreach Aid to the Americas Conference on Religious Freedom (USAID)

It doesn't matter that there is no persecution of religious groups or individuals "because of their attempts to practice their faith" in Cuba.

Cubans are aware of the US subversion attempts:

But, who does the Trump administration have to sow discord and revitalize the so-called Plan Bush, which asserted, “Churches and other religious institutions have an important role in the construction of a free Cuba”? The United States has for this dirty work the mercenary Teo A. Babún Jr. and his group, the Evangelical Christian Humanitarian Outreach for Cuba (ECHO Cuba.)
Who is Teo Babún and why is he going after Cuba? (Granma.cu, Feb 21, 2019)

 

[dann]

Belly of the Beast on X, Sep 26, 2025
Almost 1,000 same-sex couples were married in Cuba in 2024, Cuba’s National Office of Statistics and Information reported last week.

Cuba legalized same-sex marriage and adoption through the 2022 Family Code, one of the most progressive pieces of family law legislation in the hemisphere.

In July, Cuba also approved a new law that grants people the right to legally change their gender without a gender-affirming surgery.

International media seems to have lost interest in this theme. This is the most recent article I've found:
LGBTQ-inclusive church in Cuba welcomes all in a country that once sent gay people to labor camps (WLRN South Florida, April 2, 2024)