(04-08-2016 06:05 PM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote: (04-08-2016 05:38 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote: Bruce Springsteen just cancelled his Sunday show in Greensboro because of the law.
But bet your ass he would do a show in Cuba where being gay means actual persecution.
That WAS the case in the past. It was horrible. We haven't forgotten the UMAP camps. I've personally had harsh words to say to Ms. Mariella Castro. The nicest thing I had to say to her was "let the reality in Havana match your words said in the West". I also mentioned Cuba's (then) atrocious voting record at the United Nations.
Today, the situation is much better. If there are problems, there are generalized to the entire population, and not targeted at the LGBT community (still a problem, but less horrendous IMHO). And the trend is in the right direction. I'm still no fan of Cuba, but unlike North Carolina, they're moving in the correct direction. Remember, the gains made by the LGBT community in North Carolina were not the result of this current government.
The reality on the ground in Cuba for the LGBT population is much better now. But the days of the UMAP camps and the shutdowns of LGBT facilities are pretty much over.
Assuming that the LGBT community gives Cuba a pass is not true. There are 'assclowns' that will excuse anything. But they aren't the mainstream in the community. There are thousands of LGBT Cuban Americans. And many of them are NOT Batista Cubans, but recent immigrants. They aren't supporters of the regime. And they aren't supporters of Ted Cruz or Rubio either. We know that neither Cruz nor Castro are good for our community. But we will reward movement in the proper direction. Lets just say that Cruz isn't moving us in that direction.
The situation has moved from 'cut and dried' to a more nuanced situation.
Frequently, the most anti-LGBT nations are the ones that are the most leftist/anti-American. Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua come to mind. Cuba used to be on the list but it isn't now. Do they deserve a pass? No. But if they're moving in the correct direction..I"m willing to let them do so. If they stop moving, or they move backwards, then absolutely...go after them.
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Springsteen is correct to hold his own country to a higher standard than Cuba. I think we're better than Cuba. Good for him. Would you prefer he went down there and spend half his concert talking about how much of a persecutor McCrory and the GOP in NC are?
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I always thought that the anti-Gays got off easy in Indiana. Because the Governor pretended to fix the issue (but he really didn't). Maybe the best thing to happen in this case is to let society decide what will be the response in response to an entrenched supporter of discrimination against LGBT persons. This protest has legs. Strong legs. And I think this is just going to get bigger and bigger. Until the courts act or McCrory loses his job in November.
I get that some of y'all don't think that we matter. We do.
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In the past, I could say that being LGBT in Cuba meant more government harassment than being LGBT in North Carolina or Mississippi. I'm quite familiar with the situation in all three places (some of y'all will remember that I'm the desendent of a pretty prominent North Carolinian and still have lots of relatives there. I grew up 20 miles from Mississippi. And my boyfriend is a Cuban citizen - and no fan of Castro). I cannot say that targeted persecution is less in Cuba than it is in North Carolina/Mississippi on LGBT issues. "Butwhataboutism' is not an appropriate retort here. And that is stunning. I used to say that 'In Cuba they even wont allow a Gay bar to operate'. Now they do in Cuba. But in Northeast Mississippi (Tupelo/Shannon), a Gay man or a Lesbian cannot hold a liquor license and operate a facility run for the benefit of the LGBT community.
You guys are free to rebut this analysis with concrete examples from TODAY's Cuba, North Carolina, or Mississippi.
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