By Sara Más
What transsexuals, bisexuals, homosexuals and transvestites in Cuba and elsewhere really need is acceptance. To them, this is more important than any opportunity to express themselves freely or receive healthcare and guidance services. Such an opinion was shared by many participants in the 4th Cuban Congress on Sex Education, Guidance and Therapy, which was held earlier this month in Havana. While some progress has been made along these lines, there is still a long way to go, especially in societies where male-chauvinistic attitudes are deeply rooted, they stressed. "We have fought discrimination against non-heterosexual individuals, but the truth of the matter is that there is marginalization behind certain feelings of ´compassion, complacency and tolerance´" said Omar Parada, local coordinator of the MSM Project in Granma province, 700 kilometers east of Havana. MSM stands for Men Having Sex with Men.

By Ilse Bulit
It is an old joke, but it is often told. Pepito( like Dennis the Menace) is a leading character in Cuban stories, which are based on street philosophy and usually involve sex and politics. Pepito’s mother asks him to fetch a couple of soft drinks from the fridge for some visiting friends. The mocking and daring character goes against all social principles, places a comma after the vocative and shouts: Mother, there is only one! Behind this innocent joke there lies the duplicity of the so-called love for mothers. Of course, there is only one mother and there is also only one father, at least, until they are biotechnologically engineered.