The carnival-style conga line, with stilt walkers and educational material, marked the International Day Against Homophobia. Back2Stonewall.com, is a radical activist site for the GLBT community. They carry a report of last Saturday’s event.
Repression of homosexuals in Cuba was a fact of life before 1959, and continued following the Revolution until legal challenges to discrimination began in the mid-1970s. Since then homosexuals and transsexuals have combated discrimination at all levels and have gained increasing prominence and influence in Cuban society.
A good overview of the history of discrimination against homosexuals in Cuba and the progress made since 1959 can be seen on the Cuba Solidarity Campaign website.
For a detailed analysis and refutation of the biographical film about Reinaldo Arenas Before Night Falls, see this article by Jon Hillson, a Los Angeles union and political activist.