Daughter of Cuban President Raul Castro Sponsors Gay Blessing

The daughter of Cuban President Raul Castro sponsored a blessing ceremony Saturday for gay couples on an island where gay marriage remains illegal.

Nearly two dozen gay couples held hands or embraced, some crying, as American and Canadian Protestant clergyman blessed them on Saturday as part of official ceremonies leading up to the Global Day against Homophobia on May 17.

Castro’s daughter Mariela heads Cuba’s Center for Sex Education, which has been pushing for gay rights in a country with a history of persecuting homosexuals.

While she was careful not to call Saturday’s ceremony a wedding, the event had most of the trappings of matrimony.

Luis Enrique Mederos and his partner for 14 years, Alain Morales, approached clergyman including Troy Perry, founder of Los Angeles’ gay-friendly Metropolitan Community Church, and held hands beneath a canopy while the pastors blessed their relationship.

“Luis, I give you my life,” Morales said, as the crowd of 300 applauded and cheered.

“It’s a step to strengthen our relationship because we’re both religious, believers,” said Mederos, a 47-year-old graphic designer. He said he saw the ceremony as an important step toward the eventual legalization of gay marriage in Cuba.

“It’s a dream for the Cuban gay and transgender community that one day it won’t be just a symbolic and we can get married, because we’re also part of this changing world,” he said, embracing Morales, 38.

Uruguay, Argentina and a string of U.S. states, along with several in Mexico, have legalized gay marriage or civil unions.

Homosexuals were hounded and persecuted during much of the presidency of Fidel Castro. After handing power to his brother Raul, the elder Castro said he regretted his treatment of gays, and Cuba has been granting increasing rights to gays in recent years.

Mariela Castro is the most visible gay rights advocate on the island, using her position as a member of Cuba’s ruling family to push for reforms. Last year, as a member of parliament, she voted against a workers’ rights bill that she felt didn’t go far enough to prevent discrimination against people with HIV or with unconventional gender identities.

It was an unprecedented action in an assembly that uniformly votes unanimously in favor of government proposals.

Castro did not attend the blessing ceremony, but headed a colorful gay rights march by more than 1,000 people along one of Havana’s main streets.

A few minutes after Mederos and Morales, Belkis Gonzalez and Maria de los Angeles Machin stepped up to receive their blessing. A couple since 1989, they raised Machin’s son and Gonzalez’s daughter together.

“This blessing means a lot to us,” said Gonzalez, a 48-year-old screenwriter. “It’s a reaffirmation that we have a relationship of love and we aren’t hurting anyone. If God put us together, it’s because we wanted us to be united.”

The event came a day before another manifestation of changed times in Cuba: Raul Castro’s visit with Pope Francis at the Vatican. The church and the Cuban state were in a state of open hostility in the years after the 1959 revolution that put Fidel Castro in power. But a thaw began in the 1990s. Cuba removed a constitutional clause declaring the country an officially atheist state, Pope John Paul II paid a momentous visit in 1998 and Benedict XVI visited in 2012, Cuba made Good Friday an official holiday.

Raul Castro was expected to discuss both diplomatic talks with the U.S. and the pope’s planned September visit to Cuba when he visits the pontiff on Sunday.

The daughter of Cuban President Raul Castro sponsored a blessing ceremony Saturday for gay couples on an island where gay marriage remains illegal.

Nearly two . . .

Follow Us On Google News | Get Our Newsletter



Trending News on PVDN

  • Where do foreigners come from and where do they live in MexicoMexico City Protest on July 5 Challenges Gentrification and Airbnb’s Impact on Housing Residents of Roma and Condesa will gather at Parque México on July 5 to protest gentrification, rising rents, and Airbnb’s effect on local housing. This Saturday, July 5, Mexico City will witness its first organized citizen protest against gentrification—a peaceful but urgent gathering taking place at 3:30 p.m. at the Lindbergh Forum in Parque México,…
  • raw-sewage-playa-los-muertos-puerto-vallartaMore Raw Sewage Dumping at Playa Los Muertos Appear to Come From Local Hotel Business owners in Puerto Vallarta are demanding action after raw sewage was discovered leaking onto Playa Los Muertos, raising public health and tourism concerns. A raw sewage leak at Playa Los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta has sparked outrage among local tourist service providers and business owners, who say the contamination is driving away visitors and…
  • puerto-vallarta-rainfall-hurricane-flossie-july-2025Puerto Vallarta braces for torrential rains as Hurricane Flossie gains strength Puerto Vallarta faces a high risk of flooding as Hurricane Flossie intensifies in the Pacific. Torrential rains and overwhelmed drainage systems pose major challenges for the city. Puerto Vallarta, a city wedged between the Sierra Madre mountains and the Pacific Ocean, is no stranger to dramatic weather shifts—but this summer, the skies are testing the…
  • puerto vallarta lettersPuerto Vallarta needs a new image to create meaningful reasons for travelers to visit Business leaders at Jalisco Tourism Secretariat forums stressed the need for renewing Puerto Vallarta image and diversifying attractions to appeal to national and international markets. Local business leaders and tourism specialists agreed this week that Puerto Vallarta needs a fresh look and a broader range of attractions to compete at home and abroad. In a…
  • José Luis Velázquez RodríguezSEAPAL Official Reported Missing in Puerto Vallarta Authorities in Puerto Vallarta have launched a search for José Luis Velázquez Rodríguez, SEAPAL's head of transparency, who has been missing since June 30. Family and officials are urging the public to report any information. Local authorities and civil protection units have launched a search operation for José Luis Velázquez Rodríguez, head of the Transparency…
  • mexico city real estateGentrification in Mexico City is not the reason for the high cost of housing City housing shortage, not gentrification, drives prices skyward as planning lags behind demand and foreigner influence remains minimal. High real estate costs in Mexico City stem from a deep and persistent housing shortage—exacerbated by land constraints, tangled regulations and speculative investment—rather than by the presence of foreign residents. Despite headlines blaming “gentrification,” foreign-born residents make…
  • no-damage-jalisco-hurricane-flossieNo Damage Reported in Jalisco as Hurricane Flossie Moves Away While Mexico's Weather Service predicted heavy rains, Hurricane Flossie causes no damage along Jalisco’s coast. The Category 3 storm brings light rain and moderate waves as it moves away from the region. The coasts of Jalisco remain calm and largely unaffected following the passage of Hurricane Flossie, a powerful Category 3 storm that is now…
  • hurricane-flossie-strengthens-july-1-2025Hurricane Flossie will bring tropical storm conditions to parts of Guerrero, Michoacán, Colima, and Jalisco Hurricane Flossie intensifies off Mexico's Pacific coast with winds near 90 mph. Heavy rain, flooding, and tropical storm conditions expected in parts of Guerrero, Michoacán, Colima, and Jalisco. Hurricane Flossie continued to intensify early Tuesday morning as it moved west-northwestward off the coast of southwestern Mexico, prompting tropical storm warnings and watches across multiple states.…
  • cancun-sargassum-environmental-fund-responseWhich Quintana Roo Beaches Clean From Sargassum and Those Covered Today July 4 2025 Daily sargassum tracking for July 4, 2025: see which Quintana Roo beaches are clear of sargassum and which have landings, with ongoing cleanup efforts keeping the coast visitor-ready. Welcome to the daily sargassum tracker for the Mexican Caribbean coast. Each morning, we tally which beaches in Quintana Roo remain free of sargassum and which have…
  • protestProtest graffiti and smashed windows mars anti-gentrification rally in Mexico City Residents and activists joined an anti-gentrification rally in Mexico Park, but the anti-gentrification rally Mexico Park turned destructive as masked youths defaced local shops and broke windows. A rally against gentrification held yesterday in Mexico City’s Parque México drew residents from Juárez, Roma, Condesa and Hipódromo alongside local activists. Organizers billed it as the city’s…
Scroll to Top