Transgender Student Proudly Wears Male Uniform in Havana School

Yumisleidi Rodríguez, a transgender student in Cuba, proudly shared on social media their ability to choose and wear the male school uniform at their educational center in Havana, feeling more comfortable and identified with it.

Rodríguez originally shared their joy in the Facebook group “Madres cubanas por un mundo mejor,” but the post was removed due to the controversy it sparked. However, an activist known on the social network as Lara Crofs shared a screenshot of the original post, revealing Rodríguez's happiness in being able to wear the uniform of their choice.

Support from School and Friends

“It's my second year in the logistics program at Playa Girón School, and I'm grateful they allowed me to choose the uniform in which I feel most comfortable and identified,” Rodríguez stated, expressing gratitude towards the school director for the support.

Rodríguez also extended special thanks to their teacher “for giving me so much encouragement and not judging me, and to my classmates for not discriminating against me and showing me so much affection.”

Finally, Rodríguez emphasized that “thanks to the new code, transgender adolescents can feel freer and with more rights,” referring to the Family Code or Law 156/2022, which came into effect in 2022. This legislation includes significant updates such as equal marriage rights, surrogate motherhood, and recognition of diverse family structures beyond blood relations.

Controversy and Activist Response

The original post by Rodríguez generated significant controversy; however, Lara Crofs highlighted the bravery of this transgender youth while criticizing those who attacked the student: “The comments are shameful, the prejudice, the hatred towards what is different, the transphobia that some comments exude, is terrible.”

“Before commenting, consider how much these individuals already suffer, and don't add to their pain by being violent and marginalizing them,” the activist urged, showing solidarity with Rodríguez's courage on social media.

Lara Crofs called for solidarity and better understanding: “Don’t engage in discriminatory behavior, don’t violate their rights. Their sexual identity doesn’t define the type of person they are. But your comment does define you, and it hurts them.”

Lastly, the activist noted that she did not vote for the approval of the current Family Code; however, she acknowledged the importance of transgender individuals in Cuba having the support of teachers and school directors: “And if this has been thanks to the code, then I applaud it wholeheartedly.”

Although Cuba has a regulatory legal framework that recognizes and defends the rights of transgender people, everyday practice often falls short of what is written in black and white.

In August, Jessica Rabbit Toirac Matos, a transgender woman in Cuba, publicly denounced an act of transphobia by the Provincial Directorate of Culture in Guantánamo on social media. Through her personal Instagram account, Toirac expressed her indignation and demanded respect and recognition of her rights as a transgender woman, stating: “They are transphobic for not allowing transgender women, dancers evaluated in performances, to dance on a float.”