Mariela Castro addresses Pride crowds in Traflager Square
Campaign News | Monday, 6 July 2009
Mariela Castro, Director of Cuba's National Centre for Sexual Education (CENESEX)and daughter of Cuban president Raul Castro, marched through London with one million people on the annual LGBT pride parade on Saturday 4 July.
Addressing the crowds in Traflager Square following the parade she received a warm reception from the crowd when she described her "joy at being at a festival of happiness and equality."
Thanking the British Unions, the Cuba Solidarity Campaign and the organisers of Pride for inviting her to attend the event, she added that: "Cuba was fighting for people to be what they want to be."
Dr Castro is the head of CENESEX (Centro Nacional de Educación Sexual - the National Centre for Sex Education, a government-funded organisation which is best know for its advocacy work on LGBT issues.
She was accompanied on the march by Dr Alberto Roque, LGBT activist in Cuba, who had also been speaking at events prior to the parade as part of the Cuba50 celebrations.
When asked for her impressions of Pride London, and the gay 'scene' in the capital, she replied in one word: "Beautiful".
