Saturday, 26th July. 2025: Adam Mayers, Australia-Cuba Friendship Society; Being Queer in Cuba; National Rebellion Day

Macca and Kenny are joined live in the studio by Adam Mayers, a member of the Australia-Cuba Friendship Society, coordinating their annual study tour of Cuba, the Southern Cross Brigade. Adam has previously researched Cuban approaches to law, including the 2022 Family Code which legalised same-sex marriage, adoption and the right of paternity to couples using assisted reproductive technologies

Founded in 1979, the Sydney branch of the ACFS holds events, helps coordinate Cuban experts to visit Australia, protests the U.S. blockade of Cuba, and supports the work of the Cuban Embassy and the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples. Their branch, like all solidarity organisations, runs as a result of the work of a core of dedicated people and is also supported by a small but active left media and by various trade unions.

They promote an annual study trip for Australians and New Zealanders to Cuba called the Southern Cross Brigade, they also take part in national solidarity activities by coordinating with ACFS branches from other states and cities.

In Cuba, Revolution Day, also known as National Rebellion Day, is celebrated on July 26th. It commemorates the attack on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba in 1953, a pivotal event in the Cuban Revolution. This attack, though ultimately unsuccessful, is considered the spark that ignited the revolution against the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. 

Some of the topics they discussed were:

• Historical discrimination against LGBTQI+ people in Cuba.


• What was the debate and context surrounding the legalisation of same-sex marriage and adoption in Cuba?


• Why was same-sex marriage and adoption legislated through a Family Code?


• How does the Cuban healthcare system provide support to, for example, gender transition?


• How has the Family Code actually impacted the experiences of LGBTQI+ Cubans?

The post Saturday, 26th July. 2025: Adam Mayers, Australia-Cuba Friendship Society; Being Queer in Cuba; National Rebellion Day appeared first on Saturday Magazine.