CUBA – The Cuban government may extend health insurance to cover sex reassignment surgery.

            The National Assembly of Popular Power intends to discuss the possibility of making sex change operations free to any transgendered person on the island who requests the surgery.   The Republic of Cuba provides all its citizens with free health education.

            The move is one of many progressive sexual policies advocated by Mariela Castro Espin, director of the National Center of Sexual Education (CENESEX), daughter of Acting President Raul Castro and Vilma Espin, and niece of President Fidel Castro.  In Cuba, all public health care is free.

            “The measure would complement the present Identity Law that already acknowledges the right of citizens to change name and sexual identity,” according to an article in Diversidad that was quoted in a February 22 post on the Workers’ World Party (USA) Website, http://www.workers.org.  “This places Cuba at the vanguard of the legislations that acknowledge the rights of transvestites, transsexuals and transgender in Latin America.”

            Ms. Castro has long been associated with sexual liberalization in the country.   This measure could potentially have a liberating impact not only on transgendered people, but also on Cuban lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals.   Cuba has long been the center of LBGT rights controversy, with President Castro often being accused of homophobia.   Ms. Castro’s and the National Assembly’s actions, however, cast serious doubt on the view of the socialist republic as a bastion of anti-gay bigotry.