by Rex Wockner
International News Briefs
Hundreds of gays marched in Havana on May 16 to mark the International Day Against Homophobia. It was the first gay march in Cuba's history.
They were led by Mariela Castro Espin, President Raul Castro's daughter, who heads the National Center for Sexual Education.
Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon attended the beginning of the event and said the government should respect the rights of "people with another sexual orientation."
But he added, "We also have to respect the opinions, the points of view, including the prejudices, that other sectors of society have."
The march took the form of a conga line around two city blocks. Other IDAHO events included panel discussions and presentations of gay-themed books, periodicals and audiovisual material.
Castro Espin told the BBC: "I have my ups and my downs – moments when I think we're moving quickly forward (on gay equality) and others when I feel we're going very slow. What we know is that we have to keep working."
"We have to do a lot more education," she said. "There are people who are accepting and others who are not, as can be seen in the letters that arrive at the Party Central Committee complaining about what we do. But a lot of congratulations arrive, as well."
