Cuba’s new family code which legalizes same-sex marriage and makes adoption possible for same-sex couples, passed with about two-thirds of the populations’ votes. The referendum that was voted on yesterday also legalizes surrogate pregnancies, expanding LGBTQ+ Cubans’ options to start their families.
This makes Cuba the first communist country in history to allow same-sex marriages. The country’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, expressed his optimism on Sunday by saying that he believed that the majority of the country would support the new family code. While endorsed by the Cuban government, the referendum did receive opposition from conservative and religious groups on the island.
Gay people in Cuba were persecuted and sent to work camps in the 60s and 70s, something Fidel Castro later regretted. In a 2010 interview with Mexican publication La Jornada, Fidel assumed responsibility for the great injustices the LGBTQ+ community has faced on the island. Mariela Castro, daughter of Raúl and niece of Fidel Castro has been deemed one of the strongest supporters of LGBTQ+ rights within the Cuban elite. Having led the Cuban National Center for Sexual Education which has championed legislation that supports LGBTQ+ issues, such as the 2008 law that allows for state funding for gender reaffirming surgeries.