Fidel Castro's niece to speak at UTM about transgender rights

Mariela Castro Espin, the daughter of Cuban President Raul Castro, will help launch this year’s Transgender Day of Remembrance and give a lecture on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. in room 110 of the Instructional Centre, located at 3359 Mississauga Road. Her talk will address Cuba's rapid advances in transgender human rights, including the 2010 addition of gender reassignment surgery to Cuba's universal healthcare system and her current advocacy for same-sex marriage.  

Castro, the executive director of Cuba's National Centre for Sex Education, president of the Cuban Multidisciplinary Centre for the Study of Sexuality and a member of the Cuban Parliament, brings a unique perspective on Cuba's advances in LGBTQ rights, in contrast to many other Latin American and Caribbean countries. Her work has a huge influence on Cuba's progressive political positions on gay, lesbian and transgender and women's issues. 

MEDIA CONTACT

Nicolle Wahl
U of T Mississauga Communications
905-569-4656
nicolle.wahl@utoronto.ca