U.S. Women and Cuba Collaboration
Building a U.S. Women’s Movement for Cuba
Lesbians and Allies Project
Community Forum
U.S. Women and Cuba Collaboration
The U.S. Women and Cuba Collaboration announces an exciting educational community forum being offered in conjunction with the 2016 Latin American Studies Association (LASA) Conference 2016 in NY. Featuring Cuban speakers with broad expertise in lesbian organizing and activism.
Co sponsors of forum:
· The National Dominican Women’s Caucus
· US Women and Cuba Collaboration
· WILPF’s Cuba and the Bolivarian Alliance Issues Committee
Thursday, May 26
Center for Cuban Studies
231 29th231 West 29th Street 4 Fl
212. 242.0559
New York, NY 10001
6:00 to 8:00 pm
“The LGBT/Anti-Gender Violence Agenda in Cuba”
Cuban and U.S. lesbians and allies talk about issues of violence against women as a pervasive human rights violation, public health crisis, and obstacle to equality, development, security and peace. Representatives of Cuban organizations CENESEX (Cuban National Center for Sexual Education) and the FMC (Federation of Cuban Women) will share information and strategies about their national campaign against homophobia, which begins with the premises that homosexuality is not a problem and that homophobia is a problem that can be cured by education.
Speaker Bios:
Isel Calzadilla Acosta, Santiago de Cuba: Founder of “Las Isabelas,” the first lesbian organization in Cuba, Ms. Calzadilla consults with CENESEX (Cuban National Center for Sexual Education) to develop strategies for the struggle against homophobia. She is a member of the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), and she is a nurse by profession.
Teresa de Jesus Fernandez, Havana: Senior specialist of CENESEX (Cuban National Center for Sexual Education) editorial department, Ms. de Jesus Fernandez is also their National Coordinator of the network of lesbian and bisexual women belonging to the Social Community of Networks. She has powerfully addressed her personal experiences and struggles in the documentary “Mujeres entre el cielo y la tierra” (“Women Between Heaven and Earth”).
Norma Rita Guillard Limonta, Havana: Professor Guillard is a social psychologist, an Afro feminist, and founder of the “OREMI” lesbian organization in Havana. At the age of 14, she was a brigadista during the 1961 Cuban literacy campaign and she was featured in the documentary, “Maestra,” about the campaign. Both successes and challenges of life as a lesbian will be part of Professor Guillard’s presentation.
Isabel Moya Richard, Havana, Cuba: Dr. Moya Richard, Ph.D., Communication Sciences, is Professor and Editorial Director of Women at the University of Havana. She is President of the Department of Gender and Communication of the José Martí International Institute of Journalism. She has lectured widely and published several books on gender issues and communication. She will be presenting her work on: “Multiple representations, slanted eyes. The representation of lesbians in the Social Media in Cuba. Notes for a necessary debate.”
Moderator and organizer : J. Luna Vázquez, Chicago, IL: A member of the Steering Committee for the U.S. Women and Cuba Collaboration, Co-Leader for the U.S. and Cuba Lesbians and Allies project, and a member of the WILPF Cuba and Bolivarian Issues committee, Ms. Vazquez is a Puerto Rican American with decades of dedicated work as a lesbian organizer and activist.
