Cuba trans community sees glimmer of hope in proposed legislation

Bangkok Post Group

Cuban lawmakers are expected to approve a bill that would remove bureaucratic hurdles that trans-identified individuals face when seeking to legally change their names. - REUTERS

Transcript

00:01Danny Ortiz, a transgender man in Cuba, has been stuck with his birth name, Daniela, for

00:07years.

00:08It's a name he does not want and that he says does not reflect his identity.

00:12As a transgender man, I would like to see the law and changing one's legal gender past,

00:20because I plan to get married, I plan to have more children, I have several plans.

00:26But he may soon see that finally happen.

00:29Cuban lawmakers are set to pass a landmark bill in July that will overhaul Cuba's

00:33civil registry.

00:34This new legislation will allow trans people to officially change their names at will,

00:39removing the bureaucratic hurdles that have long made this process difficult or even impossible

00:44for many.

00:45Trans individuals in Cuba who spoke to Reuters said they have faced significant challenges

00:49when attempting to change their names.

00:51They said they have been required to provide proof that society recognized them by their

00:55chosen name, have no criminal record, and even present certificates from events where they

01:00participated under their preferred name.

01:02The expected passage of the bill is seen as a major step towards legal recognition of the

01:07LGBTQ community in Cuba.

01:09Fatima Abdullah Ruiz, a legal advisor to Senesex, a state-run organization advocating for the LGBTQ

01:16community, emphasized that the bill introduces, quote, an expedited process, calling it, quote,

01:22a step forward in the rights of trans people.

01:24While Cuba has often been a leader in Latin America's leftist movements, it has lagged behind

01:30regional neighbors on issues related to sexual preference and gender identity.

01:35Countries like Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia have moved more swiftly to approve gay

01:40marriage and implement socially progressive reforms.

01:433

01:50March

02:04week

02:05week

02:08week

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