Gay Cuban man, transsexual to wed on Fil's birthday | Rters

Contents:

• GAY MAN, TRANSSEXUAL WOMAN MARRY CUBA
• CUBAN GAYS SHOW PRI MARCH AND MASS SYMBOLIC WEDDG
• GAY CUBAN MAN, TRANSSEXUAL TO WED ON FIL'S BIRTHDAY

GAY MAN, TRANSSEXUAL WOMAN MARRY CUBA

Cuba has, recent years, taken signifint steps toward affordg some measure of equal rights for s gay cizens—cizens who, at var pots that untry’s history, have been harassed, persecuted, and legislated gay marriage is illegal Cuba, members of the untry’s LGBTQ muny plan to stage a mass “symbolic” weddg on Saturday, May 9th, an effort to promote equaly and tolerance for gay members of Cuban society.

As Rtersnot, gay rights Cuba have advanced recent years thanks, part, to Castro’s efforts and standg Cuban society. It was the Eucharast Catholic Church’s officiatn of 100 upl at last summer’s World Pri event Toronto that helped spire the Cuban ceremony, which is slated to take place durg that untry’s gay pri para. In 2010, longtime Cuban lear Fil Castro spoke wh Mexin La Jornada newspaper, takg full rponsibily for his untry’s legacy of homosexual reprsn and persecutn, cludg the ternment and forced labor of gays arrted for unterrevolutnary leangs.

CUBAN GAYS SHOW PRI MARCH AND MASS SYMBOLIC WEDDG

STORY HIGHLIGHTSCouple ll their unn the first gay weddg CubaThe ernment pays for sex-change surgeriGay weddgs are illegal Havana (CNN) -- The bri pulls up a vtage Amerin nvertible and steps out her illy, rented gown. Her groom, Ignac Estrada, is a gay man who is a gay rights activist and outspoken dissint.

They are llg this the first gay weddg Communist Cuba. "It's a step forward for the gay muny, " Estrada told the throngs of foreign journalists and cur onlookers who crowd the steps to the lol Marriage Palace. The uple held the weddg on Fil Castro's birthday as a way to raise awarens about gay rights.

GAY CUBAN MAN, TRANSSEXUAL TO WED ON FIL'S BIRTHDAY

It uld mark a new begng for the gay muny. " At the start of Fil Castro's revolutn, gays and transsexuals were locked up or sent to labor mps.

Now 's Fil's niece Mariela Castro, the dghter of current Print Rl Castro, who is leadg the battle agast homophobia. Dpe efforts by Mariela Castro, gay unns are illegal. Proment dissint Yoani Sanchez was the maid of honor at Saturday's ceremony, which was attend by a uple dozen fay and iends, many of them om the opposn and gay muni.

He argu gays should be allowed to marry and have the right to ngregate and march whout gettg state approval. A marriage between a gay man and a transgenr woman - the first weddg of s kd Cuba has taken place Saturday, wh mentators sayg shows how Cuba’s attu has changed recent years towards gays and transsexuals. “This is the first weddg between a transsexual woman and a gay man, ” said the groom, Ignac Estrada.