News
Una ciudad cubana que no quiere ser gueto
Santa Clara se debate espacios exclusivos para la comunidad LGBT
Una noche de sábado en el Cabaret Cubanacán, de Santa Clara. (Foto por Yariel Valdés González/Tremenda Nota)
Esa nota salió originalmente en el sitio web de Tremenda Nota.
SANTA CLARA, Cuba — Una de las ciudades cubanas más hospitalarias con las personas LGBTI+ también se debate entre la demanda de espacios exclusivos para las minorías sexuales y las desigualdades económicas que crecen en la Isla.
Cada sábado Miguel Antonio Castillo viaja cerca de dos kilómetros para encontrar una discoteca.
En San Diego del Valle, su primer destino, hay pocos lugares para bailar o simplemente disfrutar de espectáculos culturales. Por eso, desde que supo que existía una “noche para las personas LGBTI+” en Santa Clara, la capital de la provincia, Miguel Antonio decidió alargar su travesía por más de 30 kilómetros hasta el Cabaret Cubanacán.
“Las actividades que hacen allá [en San Diego del Valle] son muy generales,” se queja. “Y tampoco hay un día específico para los homosexuales.”
Al joven le seduce que “en las fiestas gais todos son gais.” Además, allí puede “encontrar amigos e intercambiar con personas que tienen gustos sexuales, estéticos o musicales similares, sin riesgo de sufrir homofobia.”
Más allá de las cabeceras municipales cubanas la recreación se reduce a una discoteca improvisada y a un parque central donde la gente se reúne a “cotillear.” Las fiestas concebidas para personas LGBTI+ tampoco son comunes más allá de La Habana y de algunas capitales provinciales.
En la pequeña ciudad de Camajuaní, a 20 kilómetros de Santa Clara, nunca ha prosperado una “fiesta diversa,” aseguran varias personas LGBTI+ entrevistadas por Tremenda Nota.
Según Leonel Jacomino Jiménez, promotor del proyecto Hombres que tienen sexo con otros hombres (HSH), las gestiones para crear un espacio inclusivo “tienen que hacerse sobre la base de cartas y tocando puertas para molestar a algunos funcionarios del gobierno.”
En otros casos, como ocurrió el pasado año en Sagua la Grande, una de las principales ciudades de la provincia, las fiestas LGBTI+ fracasan por falta de público o de buenas estrategias de promoción.
Solo el proyecto itinerante “Me incluyo,” organizado por el promotor cultural Ramón Silverio, creador y director de El Mejunje, ha presentado espectáculos de transformismo y otras actividades inclusivas en poblados y zonas apartadas.
Santa Clara, por su parte, cuenta con tres espacios que celebran las llamadas “fiestas gais,” y que incluyen shows de transformismo. El Centro Recreativo El Bosque, el Cabaret Cubanacán y El Mejunje de Silverio son los únicos lugares que introducen en su cartelera semanal una “noche diversa.”
En la última década las “fiestas diversas” han alcanzado varias ciudades cubanas, aunque todavía La Habana y Santa Clara son las que ofrecen más opciones recreativas “exclusivas” para las personas LGBTI+. (Foto por Yariel Valdés González/Tremenda Nota)
¿Gueto homosexual?
Junto al Cabaret Cubanacán funciona otro espacio recreativo nombrado Disco Isla. Los públicos se muestran segregados cada sábado. De un lado hacen fila las personas gais, trans y lesbianas; del otro aparecen jóvenes heterosexuales que evitan mezclarse con “sus vecinos.” Las personas LGBTI+ permanecen en el gueto “asignado” socialmente.
“La creación de espacios exclusivos genera también una especie de exclusión,” cree Félix Izaguirre, un joven que hace fila para entrar a otra de las “fiestas diversas” de la ciudad.
“Mucha gente no va al Cabaret los sábados ni vienen a El Mejunje, precisamente porque saben que es noche gay,” dice. “Siempre existen heterosexuales que tienen amigos gais y los acompañan sin prejuicios, pero son los menos.”
Ramón Silverio creó hace más de tres décadas el centro cultural El Mejunje, acusado en sus primeros años de ser un “club exclusivo para personas gais.” Sin embargo, la institución sobrevivió el paso del tiempo y, en vez de apartar en un gueto a las personas LGBTI+, abrió las puertas al resto de la sociedad.
El público asiste a un show de transformismo en El Mejunje. (Foto por Yariel Valdés González)
Aun así, muchas personas homosexuales y transgéneros prefieren acudir a “espacios exclusivos para gais.” Javier Olivera, transformista que se presenta en el escenario de El Mejunje como Cinthia, aseguró que en sitios “aparentemente para heterosexuales” suele encontrarse conflictos entre la clientela homofóbica y los gais.
Por eso, Denet Oliva Triana, colega de Javier conocida como Blacuchini, respalda la existencia de lugares dedicados a la comunidad LGBTI+, aunque siente que está “en un círculo” que le lleva siempre al mismo sitio con la misma gente.
Si es caro no es incluyente
A pesar del éxito del Cabaret Cubanacán y del Centro Recreativo El Bosque ― actualmente en reparación ―, el sitio más popular para la comunidad LGBTI+ de Santa Clara sigue siendo El Mejunje, por sus razonables precios y su cercanía al centro de la ciudad.
“Cada uno se divierte donde le permiten sus ingresos,” aseguran varios entrevistados. Las incipientes clases sociales que se consolidan en Cuba hace más de una década también dividen a las minorías sexuales.
Al Cubanacán, al Bosque, van quienes cuentan con mejor economía, pues solo la entrada cuesta como mínimo 25 pesos (1 CUC, equivalente a un dólar). Ese precio, por ejemplo, quintuplica el valor del boleto de entrada a El Mejunje.
En un país donde el salario medio es 767 pesos mensuales (poco más de 30 dólares estadounidenses), “no se puede decir que un lugar sea inclusivo si cobra cuarenta pesos por la entrada,” advierte Ramón Silverio.
Reinaldo Gil, un joven artista plástico, confirma que “al Cubanacán va la gente que tiene un poco más de dinero.” Al principio, cuando acababan de abrir la “noche diversa” en el cabaret, “los mismos trabajadores de allí te discriminaban un poco, existía homofobia.”
“En el Carishow — una céntrica discoteca de la cadena de servicios extrahoteleros Palmares — a veces no aceptan que entren los homosexuales,” denuncia Gil.
Sin embargo, uno de los agentes de seguridad del Carishow aseguró a Tremenda Nota que allí nunca han existido manifestaciones de homofobia y que “se trata a todos los clientes por igual,” en tanto se comporten de acuerdo a “las normas generales establecidas” en el centro recreativo.
Hace algunos meses dos jóvenes fueron expulsados de Efe Bar, en La Habana, supuestamente por besarse dentro del establecimiento privado. También el KingBar, otro centro nocturno bastante frecuentado de la capital, invocó el derecho de admisión para negar la entrada al poeta Norge Espinosa y un grupo de activistas LGBTI+ en 2015.
La transformista Blancuchini (a la izquierda) durante una de sus presentaciones en el Cabaret Cubanacán de Santa Clara (Foto por Yariel Valdés González)
Orlando Reinoso Castillo, barman del bar Tacones Lejanos de El Mejunje, se atreve a asegurar que este resulta el único sitio en la ciudad frecuentado a diario por personas gais que se mezclan sin dificultad con la población heterosexual, o con las chicas trans, o con los “pepillos.”
“A este lugar le llaman el bar de los escachados,” comenta, en alusión a los bajos ingresos de muchos clientes. “Además, aquí vienen las parejas, se besan y no pasa nada. La diversidad es tan natural en El Mejunje como sus ladrillos.”
Congress
Top Democrats re-introduce trans bill of rights
Lawmakers spoke outside US Capitol on Wednesday
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and U.S. Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), and Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) announced the reintroduction of a “Trans Bill of Rights” on Wednesday.
Despite chilling winds and snow on the ground, transgender activists, LGBTQ rights advocates, and trans-supporting lawmakers gathered outside the U.S. Capitol to announce the reintroduction of the “Transgender Bill of Rights” resolution to protect trans Americans, as the Trump-Vance administration continues to target LGBTQ Americans.
About 30 people gathered outside to hear from legislators and individuals impacted by recent White House policies.
“Today we say loud and clear that trans rights are human rights, and they must be protected every single day of every single year,” Markey told the crowd. “We stand together in solidarity with the trans community and with those who have too often been left behind by a system that refuses to recognize their humanity. We are here to ensure that every trans and gender-diverse person in America can live freely and safely and authentically. That’s what the Trans Bill of Rights is all about.”
Markey is leading the resolution on the Senate side, while Jayapal is pushing it forward in the House.
“With the Trans Bill of Rights, we are laying out a comprehensive vision to provide protections for transgender and nonbinary people — a vision that ensures every single person has a chance to thrive,” Jayapal said. “A vision that says: you are us, you belong, and you are worthy of the same rights as everyone else. This bill supports amending the Civil Rights Act to ensure that trans people have the same rights and protections as all other Americans. It creates a level playing field where trans people no longer have to fight tooth and nail to get the same treatment as their cisgender friends.”
The resolution for House and the Senate reads:
“Recognizing that it is the duty of the federal government to develop and implement a Transgender Bill of Rights to protect and codify the rights of transgender and nonbinary people under the law and ensure their access to medical care, shelter, safety, and economic security.”
Trans Legislation Tracker, an independent research organization that collects data on anti-trans legislation from the hyper-local level to the floor of the U.S. Senate, found that in 2025, 1,022 measures were proposed across the country to restrict the rights of trans Americans — from health care removals to bathroom bans.
Markey directly called out those lawmakers for what he described as discriminatory actions taken against trans Americans who, as he pointed out, are fighting for rights that everyone else is inherently given.
“Trump and MAGA Republicans have used the power of government to spread fear and hate across our country. They have tried to ban lifesaving and medically necessary health care, strip anti-discrimination protections, and turn trans lives into political talking points for their benefit. Well, we have a message for them: we are louder, we are stronger, and we are not going anywhere. We’re in this fight for the long term,” the Massachusetts senator said.
Jacobs, a co-chair of the Transgender Equality Task Force within the Congressional Equality Caucus, also spoke at the event.
“Trans Americans are being targeted just for being who they are — by laws and court decisions that try to erase them from classrooms, from courts and fields, from health care and public life. These attacks aren’t about safety or fairness,” Jacobs said. “They’re about hatred and instilling fear. And we know how quickly fear can warp into suspicion and violence with deadly consequences.”
In addition to lawmakers, trans Americans and supporters spoke.
Olivia Hunt from Advocates for Trans Equality, LaLa Zannell from the American Civil Liberties Union, as well as three additional people who have been actively harmed by the ongoing wave of anti-trans legislation, shared their stories.
Hunt emphasized the staggeringly high number of anti-trans bills being introduced in statehouses across the country — despite trans adults making up less than 1 percent of the population, according to the Williams Institute’s 2025 data.
“Since 2020, thousands of anti-LGBTQIA+ bills have been introduced in statehouses across the country,” Hunt said. “It’s a veritable tidal wave of political bullying disguised as legislation, and most of these bills specifically target transgender and nonbinary people — especially trans youth and their families. This is a moment that demands action.”
Hunt, who is trans, helps trans people in D.C. obtain legal documents that match their gender identity — something the Trump-Vance administration has stopped.
“Trans youth deserve to be protected by their government. They shouldn’t have to be protected from their government,” she said. “It’s long past time that our federal laws reflect and protect the reality and dignity of all people. Trans people have always existed — we are your neighbors, your family members, your community — and we belong.”
Zannell, who spoke proudly about her trans identity, explained why the bill is necessary and how it would protect trans people in all facets of their lives.
“I stand here as an unapologetic Black trans woman who has led this movement for over a decade to get us to moments like this. The reintroduction of the Trans Bill of Rights will aim to protect access to gender-affirming care, prevent discrimination in housing and public spaces, and preserve legal recognition,” Zannell said. “My hope is that this affirms our government’s duty to protect all trans and nonbinary people.”
The Transgender Bill of Rights is cosponsored in the Senate by U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).
In the U.S. House of Representatives, the resolution is led by Jayapal, co-led by Jacobs and U.S. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), with nearly 100 other representatives signing on as co-sponsors.
“To all trans people across the United States: you are seen, you are valued, and you are loved,” said Markey. “And I want you to know there are people who will fight for you every single day on the floor of the House and Senate to win those rights for you.”
Senegal
A dozen Senegalese men arrested for ‘unnatural acts’
Popular journalist and musician among those taken into custody
Senegalese police have charged a dozen men with committing “unnatural acts.”
The New York Times reported Pape Cheikh Diallo, a popular television reporter, and Djiby Dramé, a musician, are among the men who authorities arrested. They appeared in court in Dakar, the Senegalese capital, on Monday.
Le Soleil, a Senegalese newspaper, reported authorities arrested the men on Feb. 6 “for intentional transmission of HIV, unnatural acts, criminal conspiracy, and endangering others.” The newspaper further notes the men have been placed in “pre-trial detention.”
Senegal is among the countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain criminalized.
Police in Kaolack, a town that is roughly 135 miles southeast of Dakar, in 2015 arrested 11 people who allegedly engaged in same-sex sexual acts during “a celebration of a gay marriage.” The National Assembly in 2021 rejected a bill that would have further criminalized homosexuality in the country.
Local
Local LGBTQ groups, activists to commemorate Black History Month
Rayceen Pendarvis to moderate Dupont Underground panel on Sunday
LGBTQ groups in D.C. and elsewhere plan to use Black History Month as an opportunity to commemorate and celebrate Black lives and experiences.
Team Rayceen Productions has no specific events planned, but co-founder Rayceen Pendarvis will attend many functions around D.C. this month.
Pendarvis, a longtime voice in the LGBTQ community in D.C. will be moderating a panel at Dupont Underground on Sunday. The event, “Every (Body) Wants to Be a Showgirl,” will feature art from Black burlesque artists from around the country. Pendarvis on Feb. 23 will attend the showing of multimedia play at the Lincoln Theatre that commemorates the life of James Baldwin.
Equality Virginia plans to prioritize Black voices through a weekly online series, and community-based story telling. The online digital series will center Black LGBTQ voices, specifically trailblazers and activists, and contemporary Black queer and transgender people.
Narissa Rahaman, Equality Virginia’s executive director, stressed the importance of the Black queer community to the overall Pride movement, and said “Equality Virginia is proud to center those voices in our work this month and beyond.”
The Capital Pride Alliance, which hosts Pride events in D.C., has an alliance with the Center for Black Equity, which brings Black Pride to D.C. over Memorial Day weekend. The National LGBTQ Task Force has no specific Black History Month events planned, but plans to participate in online collaborations.
Cathy Renna, the Task Force’s director of communications, told the Washington Blade the organization remains committed to uplifting Black voices. “Our priority is keeping this at the forefront everyday,” she said.
The D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center is also hosting a series of Black History Month events.
The D.C. Public Library earlier this year launched “Freedom and Resistance,” an exhibition that celebrates Black History Month and Martin Luther King Jr. It will remain on display until the middle of March at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library at 901 G St., N.W.
Top Democrats re-introduce trans bill of rights
A dozen Senegalese men arrested for ‘unnatural acts’
Meet D.C.’s Most Eligible Queer Singles
Local LGBTQ groups, activists to commemorate Black History Month
