By Ray Sanchez | Sun-Sentinel.com
8:16 AM EDT, May 12, 2008
HAVANA - President Raul Castro's daughter Mariela is quietly emerging as
one of the younger voices of Cuba's new leadership.
The island's premier sexologist, the 46-year-old is director of the
National Center for Sex Education and has also run Cuba's Womens
Federation since the death of her mother, Vilma Espin, in 2007.
Mariela Castro this week is organizing Cuba's second anti-homophobia
festival to increase awareness of the country's marginalized gay community.
"There's political support for this educational strategy," she told
reporters. "It's the best thing that's happened to us."
She said Raul Castro supports the struggle for greater sexual tolerance
within the island's macho culture "not only because I'm his daughter,
but because I've earned his respect by working at my job carefully."
But Mariel Castro's also is expressing opinions in other areas.
In an interview published in the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia on
Saturday, she spoke in favor of allowing Cubans to travel freely.
"It is not necessary to deprive people of their right to leave," she
said. "I think we should grant permission to all those who want to
leave. People can leave, but with a great amount of difficulty."
Cubans must seek government approval to travel, a lengthy process that
the new government is believed to be streamlining.
The week-long anti-homophobia festival in Havana and six of Cuba's 14
provinces is intended to increase public awareness about gay rights
through television programs, movies, theaters and other events
culminating with the International Day against Homophobia on Saturday.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/cuba/sfl-512cubadaughter,0,5447856.story
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