Homosexuality in Cuba - Movie Review Example

Homosexuality in Cuba Introduction Homosexuality can be described as an act of intimacy or sexual relation between individuals of the same sexes. Homosexuals are easily identifiable in the society because of their weird characteristics. Homosexuals are considered to be individuals who share intimacy with one member of the same sexes. Cuba has as a country is famed for homosexual acts. Questions have been raised regarding the issue and various actions have been taken by the government and other concerned stakeholders who camping for and against the act in the country. This unit examines Cuba’s how passive homosexual and loca or maricon is made antithetical to the strength of the nation in reference Arenas’ autobiography in the film Before Night falls “In Cuba’s phallocentric nationalism, as elsewhere, it is the ‘passive’ homosexual, the loca or maricon, that is made antithetical to the strength of the nation” Discuss with reference to the film Before Night falls Passive refers to rare or inactive; hence ‘passive homosexuality’ is the practice of same gender relationship covertly. ‘Passive’ homosexuality has existed in Cuba for a long period and is perceived to be antithetical to the strength of Cuba as a nation. Firstly, ‘passive’ homosexuality impedes with the moral set up of the nation. Having a sexual relationship with the same sex was outlawed and alleged as behaviour against nature’s mode of existence. Consequently, passive homosexuality was an intolerable behaviour that was not supposed to be practised by Cuba’s citizens. For example, in the film Before Night falls, Castro made efforts to reduce the number of homosexuals in the country by arresting and sending them to hardcore prisons as a punishment (Arena, 2001, p. 301). The government declared war on passive homosexuality, to ensure that morality prevailed in the nation. Passive homosexuality has been a form of homosexuality that has been secretly happening in Cuba. Passive homosexuality has existed in Cuba for a long period and is perceived to be antithetical to the strength of Cuba as a nation. Engaging in sexual relationship with the same sex was outlawed and alleged as behaviour against nature’s mode of existence. Consequently, passive homosexuality was an intolerable behaviour that was not supposed to be practised by Cuban citizens For example, in the film Before Night falls, Castro made efforts to reduce the number of homosexuals in the country by arresting and sending them to hardcore prisons and severely punishing them. The government declared war on this type of homosexuality to retain cohesion, and guarantee morality within the nation (Arena, 2001, p. 301). Phallocentrism is a form of nationalism where the male pride themselves because of a self harboured machismo. The characters who pride themselves of male machismo and their acts are of those individuals who are domineering in the society because they feel that they that in so doing they are bestowed with honour. Cuba’s phallocentric nationalism is opposed to the country’s strength because of the negative homosexual characteristics that are present within the homosexuals. Cuba’s phallocentric nationalism have an in depth analysis of homosexuals by individuals in the society leading to conflict amongst individuals in the society. Debates and changes of words by individuals lead to a widening in the gap between the citizens of Cuba leading to a divided Cuba. Secondly, the nationalism in Cuba is considered to oppose the country’s strength because of the international political implications it had on the country. The public perception of homosexuality in Cuba has formed conflict between it and her neighbours. Cuba and the US had conflicting views regarding the societal issues affecting the lives of the countries citizens. US accused Cuba of mobilizing individuals to crusade in opposition to homosexuality and the homosexuals in the society. This disagreement fuelled animosity among the two counties, as a result, the Cuba’s stability as a nation is compromised. An example of the conflict that resulted from homosexuality is in Arenas’ case. He was also punished by authorities making him have unstable life in the society because he had immoral characters, since he was always caught exploiting young children. In the film Before Night falls, the Cuban government, as a result, prohibited him from being a citizen of Cuba. Arenas ended up not settling as a normal citizen because he was constantly on the chase. Phallocentric nationalism may be positively viewed amongst individuals, although it is a barrier to the potential strength of Cuba as a nation. The sexual relationship between the homosexuals results to the creation of unhealthy bond amongst the citizens and the homosexuals. These individuals, as a result can not sacrifice their lives for their country because they are too much absorbed with their satisfaction of their sexual desires. Their act of sacrificing their life and resources to their lovers results negatively to a country because these individuals are not capable of joining or supporting matters of national interests like revolutions. Cuban citizens perceive phallocentric nationalisms a symbol of male machismo amongst the homosexuals. Cuban’s citizens perceive male machismo to be a symbol of male dominance because of the differences in gender. Cuban phallocentric nationalism reduces the role of men in the society. This is because men were highly upheld in the society; as a result, they degraded this prestigious role through such vices like practising homosexuality. Homosexuality in Cuba was caused through insurgency, and their presences amongst men were viewed by the citizens to be symbols of revolution. The impacts of the revolution had presented the untold misfortunes and calamities to the populace in Cuba. Homosexuality is, therefore, a barrier to the strength and unity of Cuba because it is partially connected to the revolution experienced in Cuba. Cuba’s phallocentric nationalism led to rise in the sexual relationships of homosexuals within the state. The politics were unhealthy for the country’s development because it led to conflict in societal and fiscal segments of the financial system. Cuba shared similar idealization n with her neighbours, as a result, she found it difficult to trade or share societal activities with her neighbour. The breakdown in communication resulted to failure of Cuba as a nation because it lost contact in the economic activities with other nations. Homosexuality is strain on the country’s resources. This is because of the resources the nation uses in an attempt to try and cure them of diseases that they contract in the dubious acts of engaging in sex with fellow men. They stand the risk of contracting diseases such as AIDS. The cost of treating these diseases is relatively higher, and it is the government’s duty to make available health services to its underprivileged citizens. The Cuban government is weakened in the process of its provision of medical services to its sick citizens. Its citizens are individuals suffering from sexually contracted diseases caused as a result of homosexuality (Lumsden, 1996, p. 160). Loca or Maricon Cubans describe a loca or maricon to be an effeminate person. Effeminate person is an individual depicts the characteristics of a woman in a society. loca or maricon is antithetical to the strength of Cuba as a nation in various ways. He/she is a gay or a homosexual individual living in the society and having intimate relationship with a person of the same sex. Prostitution is a profession that is illegal and unacceptable to the society. Some mariconin in Cuba were prostitutes practicing the gauche job that involved having sexual intercourse by fellow men. Consequently, prostitution was majorly caused by loca or maricon who participated in the unwanted business. Prostitution negatively affects the image of some countries, interfering with the relationship with other countries. Homosexuals are perceived as negative factors that reduce the progress of the country through the practice of the prostitution. The locas in Cuba has an exclusive feature that distinguishes them from the rest of the populace. The locas tend to have more female friends than male counterparts. They find the companionship of women to be more enchanting than with their male counterparts. Secondly, their way of dressing, body movements and tone is similar to those of women. They apply make-up on their bodies and their hairstyle in various different fashionable ways. They have a small tone and are easily confused to be females when talking. Lastly, the Locas despise activities associated to men like watching soccer and drinking alcohol. A good example in Cuba is that homosexuals were considered to be weaklings who were unable to stand up and defend for themselves or their country. They were individuals who could not make right political choices regarding the country’s leadership, thus were not fit to participate in the revolutionary (Epps, 1985, p. 239). The locas have been an antithetical force to the strength of Cuba as a nation. The locas are associated to homosexuality, and its effects in the society are feared by individuals who consider that they are liberal minded in the society. The locas are not justified ion their actions because their actions are offensive to a group of individuals in the society. They commit a felony against civilization and the state because their acts destroy the self image of those who fall victim to the sexual advances. These individuals are not working to their potential because of their woman like behaviours; thus the strength of the Cuba as a nation is compromised. The government has put strategies in place to help the locas refrain from the dubious act of taking women’s role in society. The government spends expensively in putting the locas into rehabilitation centres. They are advised to lead a way of life that is in harmony to the doctrinal teachings of religious books. The process highly cost the government, thus becoming a barrier to the strength of the Cuba as a nation because a high percentage of its revenue is channelled to the centres rather than being challenged ton other development projects of the nation. The locas are a limiting force to Cuba’s strength as a nation. They constitute to a group of individuals who lack moral characters in the society; therefore, they are a pathetic example to individuals in the society. Cuba’s population detests them because of the impairment they cause to those individuals who are innocent in the society. Arena’s in his autobiography was expelled from his education because he was considered to be a vulgar example to his mates. He had a questionable personality and political ideologies that were conflicting to the morality of the society. The institution he was studying in saw him as potential threats to the notions they were instilling to students who were studying at the institution. Many individuals who were similar to him were also expelled from education. This impacted negatively on the strength of Cuba as a nation because it lost human resource, as a result, there was a lag in the economic development of a country leading to a weakened economy, thus a weakening the strength of Cuba as nation. Loca or maricon are also perceived as rebellious populace of the country, since they were against the policies guiding the individuals (Ocasio, 2002, p. 80). It is argued and established that a homosexual is not born, but he is made through the influence of the corrupted society. Consequently, people believed that people involved in homosexuality are influenced by the activities and people they interact with in the society. Thus, when they eliminate the existing locas or maricons, they will be able to stop the behaviour completely from the society. Wild and flighty homosexuals are believed to make a mockery of stability seriousness and sociability itself. They are described as self hating and masochistic characters that limit the growth of individuals in the country. Such values are not tolerable in Cuba under their policies and guidelines that guide them (Ocasio, 2002, p. 80). The rebellion has depressing effects to the development of the country’s economy; hence mariconin in Cuba is perceived as antithetical to the strength of the nation. In the film Before Night falls, there are two lessons learnt in the life of the Cubist novelist is that he suffered political persecution because of his status of being a mariconin and writing literal works of having erotic contents on gay’s life that was written at a time when the matter was a concern to the society. He was imprisoned, and his literary works denied permit to be published and distributed to the populace in the society. As a mariconin, he was denied some human rights and freedoms. Arenas had to move from one place to another and change jobs to avoid being arrested and caught by the police. He was perceived as a disgrace to the nation; and therefore, became an antithetical to the strength of Cuba. Secondly, an additional aspect learned from Arenas’ mariconin life is his condemnation of the rule of Fidel Castro when he arrived in United States in 1980 (Arena, 2001, p. 301). He condemned Castro using testimonial data about the revolution’s record of imprisonment of gays in Cuba (Arena, 2001, p. 301). Arena also used his book to reveal the strong underground secretes and life of gays in Cubans. For this reason, he was perceived as a rebellion to the country since Arena was against the rule of Fidel Castro publicly and its leadership. Consequently, locas or maricons are individuals against the rules and policies guiding the relationship among the Cuba’s citizens; thus, they were antithetical to the strength of the nation. ‘Passive’ homosexual Passive homosexuality is antithetical to the strength of Cuba as a nation because it is an immoral behaviour that spoils a countries profile. The emergence of gay prostitutes spoils the name of the country since many nations do not allow such practices within their territory. Immorality is not tolerated in Cuba, and this is the core reason for the government to fight against the practice. In the film Before Night falls, the men taken to hardcore prisons after the frequent raids in the gay neighbourhood included Arena (Arena, 2001, p. 301). Passive homosexual behaviour was perceived as unethical, causing a major confrontation to be conducted by Cuba’s citizen who wanted the government to set up policies that will regulate and end the behaviour practiced in society. The movement recognized itself as ‘moral purges’ that identified and dismissed university students involved in homosexuality. It is established that the police targeted innocent homosexuals together with the antisocial groups that were supporting the practice. The whole scenarios were influenced by political sector. Secondly, passive homosexuality is antithetical to the strength of Cuba as a nation since it did not agree with communism. Communism was a system or statute used to rule the people politically and publicly in Cuba. Fidel Castro was the person in charge of the country, and perceived homosexual as a factor that changed men to be weak and significant in the society since they were not able to stand and protect their country (Arena, 2001, p. 301). According to him, communism required strong men and who could fight and die for their country; hence, trying to prove that passive homosexual could not relate with communism. Homosexuals are perceived as weak individuals who are deplorable in leading, and are not considered as a true revolutionary, a true communist militant. Inhabitants of Cuba were governed under the rule and believed that it needed strong men. Consequently, passive homosexuality nature clashes with the concept required for a true militant communist ought to have. According to Castro, he needed strong men who could defend their country and are free of psychological flaws difficult to black mail. Passive homosexuality is practiced in Cuba, and Fidel Castro did all he can to end the conduct since he believed that men were misled. In the film Before Night falls, Arenas was debarred from the University of Havana for what is termed as ‘dubious morality’ or ‘political ideology’. This occurred after writing a book on a homosexual character known as Celestino. Many readers of the book perceived Arena as a gay because of the book’s content. In this case, it observed how passive homosexuality was professed as an immoral behaviour. The same action was taken to Arena after he was dismissed from the university as being suspected as a gay. Many of his friends disappeared and evaded the neighbourhood from being arrested by security officers, who were on a mission of raiding gays. In the film Before Night falls, Arena was forced to change homes and jobs occasionally to avoid being arrested from what was termed as immoral and unethical behaviour in the society. His literary works were not published and censored in the country since they were seen to be promoting the practice of homosexuality. They were seemed as factors encouraging passive homosexuality in Cuba because of the erotic content of information. Therefore, Arena’s life experience proves that passive homosexuality existed in Cuba, and the way the society treated him proved that the act was alleged as an immoral behaviour, which was against the communism rule. Bibliography -Arenas, Reinaldo. Before Night Falls. London: Serpent's Tail, 2001. Internet resource. -Epps, Brad. Proper Conduct: Reinaldo Arenas, Fidel Castro, and the Politics of Homosexuality. Journal of the History of Sexuality. 1985. Vol. 6(2), Pp. 231-283. -Lumsden, Ian. Machos, Maricones, and Gays: Cuba and Homosexuality. Philadelphia, Pa: Temple Univ. Pr, 1996. Print. -Ocasio, Rafael. Gays and the Cuban Revolution: The Case of Reinaldo Arenas. Latin American Perspectives, 2002.Vol 29 (2). Read More