Mariela Castro Leads Gay Rights Conga Line in Havana

Mariela Castro, gay rights activist and daughter of President Raul Castro, led a gay rights street dance in Havana on Saturday:

"Participants formed a carnival-style conga line around two city blocks to the beat of drums, accompanied by costumed stilt-walkers. Events also included educational panels and presentations for books, magazines and CDs about gay rights and sexual diversity. 'We're calling on the Cuban people to participate ... so that the revolution can be deeper and include all the needs of the human being,' said Mariela Castro..."

Watch some brief video of the event, AFTER THE JUMP...

Mariela Castro on Same-Sex Marriage, HIV/AIDS, Gay Rights in Cuba

Russia Today has posted an informative and comprehensive interview with Mariela Castro, daughter of the nation's President Raul, and Director of the National Center for Sex Education in Cuba.

The interview covers the possibility of same-sex unions in a predominantly Catholic, Communist state, overcoming stigmas and legislative barriers, when a bill might be passed legalizing same-sex unions in Cuba, the country's history of homophobia, HIV/AIDS, and the support she receives from Raul Castro of her work on sexual education.

Said Castro on the latter topic: "Yes, he's supportive of my work, thanks to the past influence of my mother, on sexual education, and mine. Of course, from time to time we have discussions meant to convince him of the need for quicker solutions. He's also influenced by other people that disagree with my work, and it's those people who create obstacles. But I believe that dialogue is fundamental to progress, so whenever I have a chance to sit down and talk with my father to convince him, I do so."

Watch the entire interview, AFTER THE JUMP...

Report: Gay March Organizers, Beaten, Arrested by Police

Troubling reports in a release just sent out by Ambiente:

"Today, June 25th, starting at ten o'clock, the first ever Cuban Gay Pride march under the slogan 'You are not alone' attempted to take place in Havana for the liberation and respect of sexual diversity in Cuba, but as organizers arrived at the scheduled starting point, several of them were met by Cuban police, who beat & arrested several of them."

According to Ambiente, The Cuban Commission on Human Rights for people with HIV and Sexual Races, the Cuban League against AIDS, Elena Mederos Foundation, The Foundation LGTB Reinaldo Arenas in Memoriam, Elena Mederos Foundation, the Cuban Movement for Gay Liberation, the Havana Transsexual Collective, Havana LGTB Cultural Center and the Organization of Gay Political Presidio Reinaldo Arenas were all expected to participate in the march."

It was to begin in the "Don Quixote" park in the neighborhood of Vedado and march to the Ministry of Justice "with the goal of delivering their demands to the Castro government," according to Ambiente. Demands included the cessation of violence and repression against Cuban homosexuals, and an apology to the Cuban people for the introduction in the 60's of UMAP concentration camps (Military Units to Aid Production) that were created by the dictator Fidel Castro, to suppress and punish homosexuals and the religious youth who opposed his Marxist ideology.

The Guardian reported on the planned march earlier today.

Cuba's Catholic Church yesterday protested the government's growing openness on gay rights in an editorial in Palabra Nueva, the monthly magazine of the Archdiocese of Havana, which said "Respect for the homosexual person, yes. Promotion of homosexuality, no."

There is a press conference scheduled for 5:30pm today at which details about this morning's incident will be provided.

UPDATE: The Sun-Sentinel has reports of an arrest, but not much more information aside from that the march was cancelled before it began.

Mariela Castro Presides Over Cuba's Largest Gay Rights Rally

President Raul Castro's daughter Mariela, an outspoken advocate of gay rights, presided over a massive state-backed rights rally over the weekend, to mark the International Day Against Homophobia:

"The meeting at a convention center in Havana's Vedado district may have been the largest gathering of openly gay activists ever on the communist-run island. President Raul Castro's daughter Mariela, who has promoted the rights of sexual minorities, presided. 'This is a very important moment for us, the men and women of Cuba, because for the first time we can gather in this way and speak profoundly and with scientific basis about these topics,' said Castro, director of Cuba's Center for Sexual Education. Mariela Castro joined government leaders and hundreds of activists at the one-day conference for the International Day Against Homophobia that featured shows, lectures, panel discussions and book presentations. A station also offered blood-tests for sexually transmitted diseases."

MSNBC also reports that Brokeback Mountain was broadcast in prime time on Cuban state television Friday night. A draft gay rights bill is expected to be considered by the Cuban parliament in June.

A brief clip from CNN's Headline News, AFTER THE JUMP...