Fidel Castro takes 'responsibility' for persecution of Cuban gays

Former Cuban President Fidel Castro called years of official persecution of homosexuals under his Communist regime an "injustice." In an interview published this week in a Mexican newspaper, he said he takes responsibility for the repression.

"If someone is responsible, it is me," Castro told Carmen Lira, editor of the left-leaning daily La Jornada. Here's the second part of the Castro's interview in Spanish. La Plaza reported on the first part here.

After the Cuban Revolution in 1959, the Communist government arrested gays and sent many to labor or "re-education" camps. Homosexuality is no longer criminalized on the island nation and Castro's niece, Mariela Castro (daughter of current President Raul Castro), is a prominent activist for expanding gay rights in Cuba.

Numerous books and films have depicted the period of persecution, including the novel Before Night Falls by Reinaldo Arenas, later adapted into a film. Here's a video by the Guardian newspaper on the contemporary gay and transgender culture in Cuba.

In the interview, Castro said the repression against gays occurred in a tumultuous period while the Communist government was defending itself against "traitors" and the CIA. "But in the end, after all, if someone must assume responsibility, I offer my own," Castro told Lira. "I cannot blame anyone else."

— Daniel Hernandez in Mexico City

Photo: Former Cuban President Fidel Castro. Credit: Associated Press

 

Comments

[Marxist Hypocrisy 1o1]

"It needs to be clarified what these "re-education camps" (UMAP) really were. This was basically a program of mandatory national service for those who could not (or did not want to moral reasons) serve a time in the armed forces. It was mostly Jehovah's Witness, Quakers, hippies and other pacifists. Since openly gay men were not allowed in the military (sound familiar) they were also sent to these UMAP camps.

But these were not like hard labor prison camps. It was not punishment."

You're a liar of the worst sort, and there is nothing ideologically separating you from deniers of the Nazi Holocaust.

http://www.rationalskepticism.org/news-politics/fidel-castro-accepts-responsibility-for-persecution-of-gays-t11954-20.html

Thousands of homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, conscientious objectors, and dissidents were forced to conduct their compulsory military service in the 1960s at UMAP camps, where they were subject to political "re-education".[55][69] Military commanders brutalized the inmates.[70] Carlos Alberto Montaner says "Camps of forced labour were instituted with all speed to "correct" such deviations.... Verbal and physical mistreatment, shaved heads, work from dawn to dusk, hammocks, dirt floors, scarce food.... The camps became increasingly crowded as the methods of arrest became more expedient".[55]

In the late 1960s, because of "revolutionary social hygiene", the Castro government claimed to cleanse the arts of "fraudulent sodomitic" writers and "sick effeminate" dancers.[71] Additionally, men with long hair were locked up and their hair was cut.[72]

Castro has asserted, "in the country, there are no homosexuals",[73] and denounced "maricones" ("faggots") as "agents of imperialism".[74] Castro has asserted that "homosexuals should not be allowed in positions where they are able to exert influence upon young people".[75]

[Padre Pete]

"If you do not accept "homosexuality [sic] behavior as normal"... You got that right, and I NEVER will! In fact, let me take the question a bump further; homosexuality is possibly the most extreme form of self-hate, self-loathing, self-abusive, degenerate expression of a mental breakdown of logic faculties the a human can CHOOSE to pursue!
Bigot? "Homophobe"? Not hardly nor do I care. Just a simple gut truth observation and distain for perverts and guaranteed by the First Amendment to say as much!
"...do you accept that there are upwards of a billion of these people who "practice"...
You score a -0 (minus ZERO) agreement on that stupid "these people" question. Wishful delusion that you have yourself a billion "gay" 'doors' to explore.
The 2000 U.S. Census Bureau determined homosexual couples constitute LESS THAN 1% of American households. The Family Research Report said "around 2-3% of men, and 2% of women, is homosexual AND/OR bisexual." The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force estimates wildly gravitate between 3-8% of both sexes.
Gates and Sanders learned that the gay and lesbian population is at least 2.5% of the general population, the estimate for gay men (from 2% to 5%) exceeding that for lesbians (from 1% to 3.5%). Removing the definition that refers only to experimentation narrows the ranges to 2% to 3% for men, and 1% to 3% for women.
Sources: General Social Survey, pooled from 1989-1991, 1993, 1994, and 1996; National Health and Social Life Survey (1992); U.S. Census: 2000 and 1990 (Public Use Micro Samples Combined 1 % and 5 % samples and Internal Long Form Files); and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
Let's be kind and generous to your twisted friends, we'll give them a rounded upwards 5 %.
Using 6.5 BILLION people X .05% you come up very short pal. MAYBE there are all of 350,000,000 'logically challenged' human facsimiles who have CHOOSEN to engage in putrid behaviors.

[av2ts]

It needs to be clarified what these "re-education camps" (UMAP) really were. This was basically a program of mandatory national service for those who could not (or did not want to moral reasons) serve a time in the armed forces. It was mostly Jehovah's Witness, Quakers, hippies and other pacifists. Since openly gay men were not allowed in the military (sound familiar) they were also sent to these UMAP camps.

But these were not like hard labor prison camps. It was not punishment. But they did carry out work projects for the people. Many countries have mandatory national service, so lets forget the notion of "war crimes" and "concentration camps." Castro visited one of the UMAP camps incognito - criticized what he saw - and the idea was disbanded after soon after (they only lasted a couple years)

Were gays mistreated in Cuba in the 60s? Of course. But tell me what Latin country they weren't. My father in law tells me about 2 (hidden) gay professors he had that were both killed in the streets of Ecuador when it came out they were gay. This level of hatred never happened in Cuba - but there was in ingrained Spanish machismo, of course. Today, Cuba is one of the most progressive places for gays in the world. Cuban State TV makes shows with great pro-tolerance story-lines and they even get free sex change operations.

[tawoody]

Uh, Castro just admitted to have committed a WAR CRIME!!!

Where are the tribunals?

It is against international law to round gays up, just because they are gay, and put them in concentration camps (i.e. SLAVE CAMPS).

He needs to be brought to justice?

[Pizzedoff]

IS THERE SOME REASON FOR THE CENSORSHIP LAT'S? lET'S TRY FOR 'STRIKE THREE':
"Fidel, Fidel, why reverse course now? How uncharacteristic of you, and things were ticking along so well with the original pogrom.
Then again, homosexuality does seem quite synonymous, and inherently compatible with the leftist/socialist/commie style of social engineering you fought so hard to attain.
I have an ideal solution to console and amend your guilt; why not offer to take ALL of Amerika's "gays" off our hands, import them to Cuba, issue them permanent visas, let them marry and adopt YOUR kids!
Hell, the marriage thing shouldn’t be much of a hurdle… since your island ‘paradise’ is largely based upon a Godless atheism anyway.
Such a move might buy you some real choice PR from Massachusetts, middle Amerika...and ESPECIALLY from Californians."
... or is three times the charm?

[rmh]

TuxRealto, what kinda crazy theology?????

[Citytrucker]

When was the last time we heard a politician of any stripe admit to serious error?

[stuckinbayareahe11]

Daniel: Awesome comment. Thanks for the update and feel free to crawl back under your rock.

[John De Salvio]

To Jet Black,

If you do not accept "homosexuality [sic] behavior as normal", do you accept that there are upwards of a billion of these people who "practice" (you know, they have to rehearse, and study to get it right) homosexuality on the planet?

[teleprompter]

He was obviously touched by the performance of his pall Sean Penn in Milk. Fidel is such a good guy. Perhaps he will even allow gay marriage for California couples. Hasta la vista baby

[milegrinder]

This is hilarious. None of the Castro-bashers who wrote comments here see the irony. First of all, to establish my bona fides, I think Castro should be standing trial at The Hague, but even my rightie predilections don't obscure the irony, which is this: If you're an American and you espouse a pro-gay or gay-tolerant perspective, the righties call you. . . .what?! A communist! Only socialists and communists tolerate gays and advocate for their rights; right? To the neo-con, rightist, and Castro-bashing morons who posted here today, explain to me how a prototypical communist regime like Castro's keeps its satanic profile in your eyes WHILE STILL DISCRIMINATING AGAINST GAYS FOR, WHAT, 50 YEARS? How's about maybe some of you Faux News addicts interrupt the narrative--at least on the issue of gay rights--and admit that a true American wouldn't equate gay-bashing and anti-gay discrimination with being a true American? How about the next time you tell a "fag" joke and brag about how you voted for Prop 8, along with everyone at your church, you picture yourself standing right next to Castro and the other commie dictators who behaved the way he did toward gays?

[Rob Thomas]

Didn't he die?

[Pizzedoff]

Fidel, Fidel, why reverse course now? How uncharacteristic of you, and things were ticking along so well with the original pogrom.
Then again, homosexuality does seem quite synonymous, and inherently compatible with the leftist/socialist/commie style of social engineering you fought so hard to attain.
I have an ideal solution to console and amend your guilt; why not offer to take ALL of Amerika's "gays" off our hands, import them to Cuba, issue them permanent visas, let them marry and adopt YOUR kids!
Hell, the marriage thing shouldn’t be much of a hurdle… since your island ‘paradise’ is largely based upon a Godless atheism anyway.
Such a move might buy you some real choice PR from Massachusetts, middle Amerika...and ESPECIALLY from Californians.

[Jet Black]

While it is nice he apologized for mistreating human beings, I would not lump mistreatment in the same sense as acceptance. Though I do not accept homosexuality behavior as normal, nonetheless I do not feel people who practice homosexuality should be mistreated.

[Hm.]

Of course, with Fidel's system you get to be both dirt poor and told what to think, so it's double points, both corrupt and stupid.

[Hm.]

Hey, waitaminit, I thought it was the evil capitalist-paternalist world conspiracy behind all persecution? Wasn't Fidel going to free people from oppression?

Kinda like the new "free" economy producing wealth, but actually it was a rigged game where we sold out to China to place money in the banking and real estate casino pot.

Both are versions of the same game: Corruptocracy of self-righteous punks.

[TuxRealto]

Well,there you have it.Like a cruel and abusive parent,Fidel finally wakes-up from his evil state of mind and now recognize his faults.I guess that he sees the grim reaper getting closer to his bed every night and now is the time to make up for all the evil and pain he had inflicted on gays and lesbians for the last fifty plus years.I dont know where his soul will go after he dies but I can bet you he will have to wait in a very hot room for a long time before he can get a hearing with God.

[erik self]

...I wonder how much consolation this news is to those men and women who perished working themselves to death in their re-education camps? Or their families?? Does anyone imagine they were treated well? I think not! abuse, depravation, family devastation...etc...what a legacy of prejudice and scapegoating....what will Fidel do to make it better? reParations or just lip service?.....Erik Self

[coloradorob]

Must of found out he has a Flamer in the family!

[Jeff]

Seriously, is this tyrant's mea culpa supposed to make what he did any better? These people were sent to concentration camps. "Re-education" and "internment" are just leftist window dressing. Many died horrible deaths in these camps and for Castro to just say "oh, I'm responsible" now is a slap in the face to the families of his victims.

[Daniel]

While the world evolves and accepts responsibility for violating the rights of minorities, the U.S. continues to condone discrimination at home. We have lost our moral compass and can no longer pontificate to the rest of the world on how to live.