US gay and lesbian solidarity with Cuba
By Kim Spurway
"The struggle for lesbian and gay liberation must be a struggle against racism, poverty and sexism. It is a struggle for equal access to health care, education and human rights. I believe we have a lot to learn from Cuba", says Sonja DeVries, a San Francisco lesbian activist and contributing writer to the Gay Community News.
A Lesbian and Gay Committee, set up as part of the United States
Peace for Cuba International Appeal, taken out a full-page advertisement in the Boston Gay Community News.
The advertisement was headed, "Peace for Cuba: End the Blockade; No US Intervention; End the Travel Ban; Close Guantanamo Base". It pointed out that gays and lesbians have no reason to trust or support their government, which has stood by and let hundreds of thousands of people die from AIDS, has denied the gay and lesbian community "our basic civil rights" and supports every shade of bigotry.
"The war against Cuba has already cost us hundreds of millions of dollars", the ad continues. It points to the $40 million spent on TV Martí alone, the station from which the US illegally broadcasts into Cuba. "People with AIDS could certainly put that $40 million to real use."
The ad finishes with an appeal for solidarity with Cuba, demanding the end of the US embargo which is making it very hard for the Cuban people to obtain food, medical supplies and the resources they need. A stop must be called to any planned US military actions. "Cuba's
sovereignty must be respected."
The committee has started a fund appeal and was planning an international rally for January 25 in New York City.