Voting today: YES or NO on Same-sex marriages?What is your vote on whether to legalize same-sex marriage and adoption? Allow surrogate pregnancies and rights to non-biological parents.
by Agence France-Presse
25-09-2022 12:15
in LGBTQIA
Cubans on Sunday will vote in a landmark referendum on whether to legalize same-sex marriage and adoption, allow surrogate pregnancies and give greater rights to non-biological parents. Photo: PEXELS/Canva
Cubans on Sunday will vote in a landmark referendum on whether to legalize same-sex marriage and adoption, allow surrogate pregnancies and give greater rights to non-biological parents.
--
The new family code, promoted by the communist government, would represent a major shift in Cuba, where the culture of machismo is strong and where the LGBTQ community was ostracized by authorities in the 1960s and 1970s.
More than eight million Cubans over 16 are invited to vote Yes or No amid the country's worst economic crisis in 30 years, and experts say the referendum could turn into an opportunity to voice opposition against the government.
ALSO READ: Uganda suspends country's leading LGBT rights organisation
--
If approved, the new family code would replace a law in effect since 1975 and define marriage as the union between two people, rather than that of a man and a woman.
It would also permit surrogate pregnancies, as long as no money changes hands, while boosting children's rights and those of the elderly and people with disabilities.
The family code sets out above all respect for human beings, respect for each (person) and everyone, said President Miguel Diaz-Canel.
--
Polling stations will be open from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm local time.
On Same-sex marriages: I'm Christian, I have other ideas' The official attitude toward homosexuality has changed significantly over the past 20 years, and the government has put much effort into the Yes campaign on television and social media.
I couldn't care less if two men marry or two women marry, I don't have that prejudice, 67-year-old retiree Reinaldo Orgalles told AFP. I'm from another era, but I don't have that prejudice.
In 2019, the government sought to include same-sex marriage rights in the country's new constitution but balked after criticism from the Catholic and Evangelical Churches.
The Conference of Bishops recently reiterated its opposition to some of the key provisions of the new code, such as allowing surrogate pregnancies.
It is unethical when a woman who has carried a baby in her womb for nine months must hand it over to others straight after birth,
the bishops said. Zulika Corso, 65, a teacher in central Havana agrees.
I'm Christian, I have other ideas, I don't accept this,
she said. More important subjects' Between February and April, a vast public debate took place across Cuba, with more than 79 000 neighborhood meetings held to discuss the new family rights.
That resulted in more than half the original text being modified, according to official media.
Still, political scientist Rafael Hernandez calls it the most important human rights legislation in Cuba since the 1959 revolution.
ALSO READ: Suicide shock: Calls for national policy to protect LGBTQ pupils
The law would be one of the most progressive in Latin America, where same-sex marriage is only legal in eight other countries: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Chile, Uruguay and some Mexican states.
But experts also say the sheer size of the code it contains some 500 articles could work against it.
Some Cubans, for example, have expressed support for same-sex marriage but oppose surrogate pregnancies.
I still haven't decided because there are some things I consider good and many others I don't consider good,
said Airam Zulueta, a restaurant owner. ALSO READ: Hundreds of people march in anti-LGBTQ rally
Six decades after the revolution, Cuba is experiencing its worst economic crisis in 30 years, fueled by ramped-up US sanctions and a tourism collapse due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Many Cubans are struggling to access medicine, electricity, fuel and basic foodstuffs amid critical import shortages and staggering inflation.
The country erupted in historic anti-government protests last summer by citizens clamoring for food and greater freedoms.
Hundreds were detained and jailed, but crackdown has not stopped repeated demonstrations in recent months in a country notoriously intolerant of dissent.
ALSO READ: Alphabet club': Steve Hofmeyr vs LGBTQI community AGAIN
Many voters could use this occasion to express disapproval of the government, experts have said.
There are many other subjects that are more important than the family code, like the fact there is no food, that many people are hungry,
concierge Julio Cesar Vazquez told AFP. Dissidents and the banned opposition, short of other means to express themselves, have called on citizens to reject the new code or to abstain from voting.
The law needs more than 50 percent of the vote to be adopted.
Agence France-Presse
Know your braai? ENTER QUIZ & you could be the proud owner of a new Weber braai!
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Deepens Partnership with Taiwan's 62nd Golden Hors...
25/11/2025
Tracy Bonareri Onchoke, an investigative journalist from Kenya is the winner of the Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist Award 2025.
The 26-year-old-sele...
25/11/2025
SVG All-Stars: Blayke Scheer, Senior Director, Creative Content, YES NetworkThe Indiana alum has turned storytelling into an artform for more than two decadesBy...
25/11/2025
Op-Ed: With FCC's C-Band Auction on the Horizon, Broadcasters Need Proven, C...
25/11/2025
Analysis: Is Baller League really the future of sport? By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:10
Print This Story
With KSI on...
25/11/2025
Platinum Whitepaper: The Growth of Broadcast in the World of Major Large Scale E...
25/11/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: SVG Women's Sports WorkshopBy Samantha Gabay
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:27 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlig...
25/11/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: CacheFly's Matt Levine on the Evolving Role of th...
25/11/2025
Peacock's EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast Levels Up on Thanksgiving With SkyCam as...
25/11/2025
Mathias Broe attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Sauna at Library Center Theatre. (Photo by Michael Hurcomb/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Fes...
25/11/2025
The best playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks bring a little extra magic to your daily routine. With new features and offerings, Spotify Premium delivers even mo...
25/11/2025
Comprehensive new research confirms what we already knew: Australian music fans love the quality, quantity, and access they have to new and local music on strea...
25/11/2025
Applicable Products
Objectives The purpose of this application note is to give a brief background on 5G (NR) wireless communication an explain the reason a SN...
25/11/2025
Nielsen will now measure both Lionsgate's FAST channel MovieSphere and Movie...
Voting today: YES or NO on Same-sex marriages?What is your vote on whether to legalize same-sex marriage and adoption? Allow surrogate pregnancies and rights to non-biological parents.
