People participating in a march for International LGBTQI+ Pride Day in Havana, Cuba. Photo: EFE/Ernesto Mastrascusa
On July 18, Cuba’s National Assembly of People’s Power approved a sweeping reform of the Civil Registry Law, which will allow transgender people to update their legal gender on official documents without requiring gender reassignment surgery.
The reform was unanimously approved by the Cuban Parliament and aligns with the provisions of the 2019 Constitution and the Family Code, approved by referendum in 2022.
In addition to legal gender recognition, the new law legally recognizes affective unions between unmarried couples and allows parents to choose the order of their children’s surnames, opening the door to more equitable and less normative practices in family structure.
The law also prohibits the registration of names that may undermine human dignity or overlap with trademarks, seeking to protect the identity of children from birth.
Justice Minister Oscar Silvera Martínez, who presented the bill, emphasized that the Civil Registry is a strategic activity of the Cuba’s justice system and the only one that maintains its functionality in exceptional circumstances.
He stressed that the reform aims to “guarantee rights, organize public policies, and protect the personal and collective history of the Cuban people.”
A crucial element of the reform is the comprehensive digitalization of the Civil Registry, gradually replacing the use of paper with electronic databases.
In this regard, a Central Civil Registry will be created, complete with a national digital database, and a unique registry number will be assigned to each person to consolidate civil records chronologically, improving data accessibility and control.
The guiding principle is that “information, not people, should circulate state offices,” which seeks to reduce red tape for citizens.
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The new legislation is the result of years of advocacy by activists, legal experts and human rights organizations.
Its development took four years, and involved numerous specialists and academics, went through 35 draft versions, and included extensive specialized consultations. It also includes laws focused on sports and the rights of children and youth, marking a parliamentary session dedicated to inclusive reforms.
With these measures, Cuba advances in aligning its legal system with the principles of equality, dignity, and diversity enshrined in its constitution, aiming to establish a modern, inclusive, and efficient Civil Registry.
(Telesur)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JB/SH