| On December 27, 2007, a group of North | | | | reassignment surgery. These changes are being |
| Americans will make history by flying to | | | | broadly debated by the population, yet North |
| Havana on the first ever Queers to Cuba Tour. | | | | Americans hear very little about this kind of |
| They'll spend eight days experiencing the | | | | popular democracy." |
| island's rich cultural heritage and meeting | | | | |
| representatives of Cuban organizations | | | | The tour is being organized by Cuba Education |
| working for sexual dignity. Activists from | | | | Tours of Vancouver, Canada, whose |
| CENESEX (the National Center for Sexual | | | | coordinator, Marcel Hatch, insists, "The |
| Education), the Cuban organization advancing | | | | image of Cuba as a gulag for LGBT people is |
| queer reforms and AIDS awareness, will brief | | | | false. It's a myth invented by opponents of |
| tour members on the island scene. | | | | revolutionary Cuba. As a gay, I feel safer in |
| | | | Cuba than in Canada or the States. Soon |
| Program highlights include joining the throng | | | | island queers will enjoy greater rights and |
| celebrating the 49th anniversary of the Cuban | | | | freedoms than their counterparts in the USA." |
| Revolution in Old Havana, attending an | | | | |
| authentic drag show, swimming at the gay | | | | Ricardo Alarcon, president of Cuba's National |
| beach, learning salsa dancing from island | | | | Assembly, has said, "We have to abolish any |
| pros, and sampling the city's exciting | | | | form of discrimination against those persons. |
| nightlife. Tour participants will explore | | | | We have to redefine the concept of marriage. |
| colonial and modern Havana, sample museums of | | | | Socialism should be a society that does not |
| art and history, and visit the eco-community | | | | exclude anybody." |
| at Las Terrazas in Pinar de Rio. | | | | |
| | | | Sonja de Vries recalls, "When I visited Cuba |
| The farewell dinner will be at La Guarida | | | | last December with a group, we met with |
| Restaurant where the famous 1995 movie | | | | CENESEX president Mariela Castro Espin and |
| "Strawberry and Chocolate" starring Jorge | | | | she told us about the concrete work being |
| Perugorria and Vladimir Cruz was filmed. In | | | | done with transgender people, with lesbians, |
| the movie, a young Communist Party activist | | | | and with families to encourage support of |
| learns the meaning of live and let live from | | | | their LGBT kids. Several members of my group |
| a gay artistic director. | | | | were in tears. To see these efforts being |
| | | | carried out in a way that is so respectful |
| The tour is being conducted by Sonja de | | | | and compassionate is not something most of us |
| Vries, co-founder of San Francisco-based | | | | have experienced with institutions, much less |
| Queers for Cuba, the first LGBT (lesbian, | | | | government!" |
| gay, bisexual, transgender) group to be | | | | |
| officially invited to Cuba. Ms de Vries | | | | The inaugural Queers to Cuba Tour will run |
| studied race and gay issues in Havana from | | | | from December 27, 2007, to January 3, 2008. |
| 1993 to 1994, and her groundbreaking | | | | Participants will stay at the Hotel St John's |
| documentary "Gay Cuba" remains the last word | | | | in the heart Havana's Vedado entertainment |
| on the subject. | | | | district. The services of a multilingual |
| | | | Cuban guide and a professional bus chauffeur |
| "The Queers to Cuba Tour comes at an exciting | | | | will be provided throughout. It's an event |
| time for LGBT equality in Cuba," says Sonja | | | | LGBT people and their friends from Canada, |
| de Vries. "The Cubans are drafting | | | | the United States, and beyond will not want |
| legislation to allow same sex unions, lesbian | | | | to miss. |
| adoption and insemination, and transgender | | | | |