TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Cuba decides to scrap same-sex marriage law in new constitution: Official

Cuba will leave out of its new constitution changes that would have paved the way for legal same-sex marriage, despite majority support in local assemblies, a government official said Tuesday. 

News Desk (Agence France-Presse)
Havana, Cuba
Wed, December 19, 2018 Published on Dec. 19, 2018 Published on 2018-12-19T11:00:57+07:00

Change text size

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Cuba decides to scrap same-sex marriage law in new constitution: Official An old American car drives past a poster against homophobia and transphobia in Havana, on September 20, 2018. The national referendum to ratify Cuba's new constitution will take place on February 24, 2019, the document would provide a legal path for same-sex marriage, an important demand of the socialist island's LGBT community. (AFP/Yamil Lage )

 

Cuba will leave out of its new constitution changes that would have paved the way for legal same-sex marriage, despite majority support in local assemblies, a government official said Tuesday. 

It was a surprising twist given public popular support shown nationwide -- and earlier remarks from lawmakers in the Americas' only one-party Communist regime.

The measure would have changed the definition of parties in a marriage from man and wife to "between two people."

But "the draft constitution will not define which parties enter into a marriage... So that is now out of constitutional reform discussions overall," Council of State secretary and drafting coordinator Homero Acosta was quoted as saying by state media.

The full draft constitution was put before neighborhood and workplace assemblies for debate between August and November. The marriage issue was the one that drew the greatest attention.

"Article 68 was the one most discussed by the people in the popular consultation, in 66 percent of the meetings (of citizen debate). Of the 192,408 opinions, 158,376 propose replacing the measure now in force with the one proposed," Cuba's National Assembly said on Twitter. 

In light of that, "the (text-drafting) Committee proposes deferring the definition of marriage to the draft constitution, as a way to respect all opinions."

 

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.

Share options

Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!

Change text size options

Customize your reading experience by adjusting the text size to small, medium, or large—find what’s most comfortable for you.

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!

Continue in the app

Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.