A very joyous day for many Cuban citizens as the country makes official changes to its "family code" laws. In a very progressive move by the Cuban government, gay marriage is now accepted by the law.
Cuba overwhelmingly approved gay marriage and adoption in a referendum backed by the government. The 100-page 'family code' also promotes equal sharing of domestic rights between men and women https://t.co/d467f0mIOz pic.twitter.com/jyrf3uilmC
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 27, 2022
In a referendum held on September 25, the Cuban citizens voted for a brighter and safer future for the country as they stood for the rights of same-sex couples.
It was an overwhelming victory, said Alina Balseiro Gutierrez, president of the national election commission, on state-run television. More than 3.9 million, two-thirds of all the voters opted for ratifying the national "family code." While the rest, 1.95 million, opposed the change.
The government-backed ratification legalized not only same-sex marriage but also introduced many new progressive ideals regarding adoption by same-sex couples. The 100-page "family code" also boosted women's rights as it defined the equal sharing of domestic rights and responsibilities between men and women.
President of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel, played a massive part in the change as he had campaigned to adopt the revised "family code." The president tweeted, "Justice has been done." He added, "It is paying off a debt with several generations of Cuban men and women, whose family projects have been waiting for this law for years."
The results came in on September 27 while President Diaz-Canel presided over an emergency meeting about the country's preparation for Hurricane Ian to pass over its western tip. The official Twitter accounts showed that the conference room was filled with applause while the president smiled at the news.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and his wife cast their ballots in a referendum on a package of measures that would upend the island's long-held 'machista' culture and legalize gay marriage https://t.co/FdwIah1bst pic.twitter.com/TjgBAgshDd
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 25, 2022
Although, as one might think, the turnout was a huge win, it was modest by Cuban standards. The communist country had many previous referendums with almost unanimous approval. The 33% who voted against the ratification is still a considerable number from what the government has seen before.
The preliminary ratification results showed that the electoral commission deduced that 74% of 8.4 million Cuban citizens were eligible to vote.
The dissent may indicate many recent changes the country has gone through. The government needs economic and financial help, while there has been a shortage of food, medicine, and fuel.
