Gays and the Cuban Revolutn: The Case of Realdo Arenas on JSTOR

Contents:

• CUBA'S FIRST GAY HOTEL REOPENS AS HUMAN RIGHTS TERRATE
• GAY AND PROUR CUBA
• PROSTUCIóN: MO OBLIGADO PARA GAYS EN CUBA

CUBA'S FIRST GAY HOTEL REOPENS AS HUMAN RIGHTS TERRATE

Studyg their performance on homoerotic circus Havana, the text analys how the pgueros when alg wh foreigners negotiate masculy and inty; also discs the lolly nstcted ncepts of genr and sexualy, on one hand, and natn and survival on the other. Keywords: Cuban revolutn, male sexual work, pgueros, homoerotic ambienc, Sexual tourism Havana, la lucha, new man.

I am particularly terted examg their efforts to craft a legimate social space wh the work of Havana’s homoerotic ambiente [environment or scene]3as well as evaluatg how such experience fluence how they unrstand genr and sexualy.

GAY AND PROUR CUBA

For some pgueros, the disurse of la lucha serv as an stment for homoerotic -intifitn and the negotiatn of masculy, but equently as a means for avoidg the tegory of sex worker. Official disurse views pgueros rervedly, as do many homosexuals who nstct them siar ways, often perceivg them as lazy youngsters. In addn, homosexuals often nste pgueros as void of a genue homoerotic nfiguratn and a clear fn of their sexual inty (Sierra Maro, 2006; Stout 2008).

Followg the analogy between the sexed human body and the natnal rp, lonizatn has been theorized as an act of peratn (Sierra Maro, 2006) based on the tradnal mol of unrstandg homoeroticism7 and sexualy as a whole. Wh the natnalist logic that predomat today unr Raúl Castro, pgueros should not be rejected for their potential homoeroticism, sce homosexualy has recently been -opted and assiated wh the amework of the “polilly rrect” sexual diversy, thanks largely to the efforts of Raúl’s dghter, Mariela, founr of CENISEX, a state agency voted to precisely that e. Pgueros do not nform to a homogeneo uny; there are different typ of experienc and gradatns that notably fluence their mos of teractg wh foreigners.

PROSTUCIóN: MO OBLIGADO PARA GAYS EN CUBA

Even though pgueros allowed themselv to be perated, they say they are active and always try to hi the fact that they are passive bee if they accept , they would be admtg that they are homosexuals. At one time, I thought I was a big macho man and rejected anythg that smacked of homosexuals, but I realized that orr to survive, I had to beiend transvt, gays, lbians bee Yumas10 go lookg for their ambiente. The impact of globalizatn Cuba has been felt not only the rise of an emergent tourism enomy that has brought large divinds to some social el as a rult of plex procs of creasg social equaly and palizatn that affect the majory of the populatn, but has also generated an enomy of pleasure for gay tourists accsible to all e levels.

Ángel, a young man and native of Havana, do not “do the streets, ” he offers a personalized service, exclive only to a select clientele of bsmen, tellectuals or foreign artists who want to have a homoerotic experience wh young Cuban. ” The lack of money and his plans to leave Cuba at all st, led him to hang around the Malecón where he beme exposed to the Habanero homoerotic environment, somethg he had never thought to be volved :. Reier noted that havg sex wh men did not change his perceptn of homosexualy bee he se as somethg alien to his ner sir and feelgs and above all bee his ia about is associated wh embracg an inty and not jt about havg sex.

For Reier, embracg a homoerotic inty impli a rejectn of sex wh women and engagg an exclive relatnship wh a man:. Although Reier distanc himself om homosexualy, he nces that the homoerotic environment has been fundamental to his performance and survival and that after spendg time those works he is no longer as judgmental as he once was. ” However, spe his trangement om homosexualy, he nfs that he has felt pleasure durg some of his homoerotic enunters:.