April 3, 2018
By Rolando Pérez Betancourt
Graduated in Journalism from the University of Havana in 1973. Graduate in French from the Institutes of Foreign Trade and Foreign Affairs. José Antonio Fernández de Castro National Prize for Cultural Journalism (1999), José Martí National Prize for Journalism for the work of life (2007). Journalist at the Granma Newspaper. Attends the weekly program “The Seventh Gate”. He is one of the sharpest film critics in Cuba.
A CubaNews translation. Edited by Walter Lippmann.
Increasingly, the globalization of gossip gains ground from the social and cultural magnitude.
“-Dig this!, Mrs. X divorced Mr. X after finishing her latest movie.”
“Yes, but he was already sleeping with somebody else.”
“With a He, or with a She?”
This is just an example of banal and depoliticized gossip in its comprehensive role of obliterating transcendental reasoning.
Back in the 50s, as a child, I learned about the subject — without understanding it then—by reading the glossy magazines collected by a cousin who, despite spending a fortune in red dye and high heels, never reached her dream of looking like Rita Hayworth and, by chance, marrying a prince from distant lands.
At the time, gossip about show-business celebrities was nothing compared to the explosive levels it reaches today in the huge and dominant information platforms of the Internet, where a headline about the latest mass killing at a school in the United States may rank equally, or below, the latest steamy dress exhibited by Jennifer Lopez, or any other actress with less artistic talent, but with enough curves, public life, or money to keep up with the hype.
These are myths and individual fame aimed at trivializing culture and monopolizing the attention of an audience eager to follow the bombastic life of the rich and famous, instead of the political, cultural or economic events that, in their fabric of human implications, could indeed influence their own lives.
The sensationalism irradiating from individuals is winning the battle from the social fact as part of the US-Americanization of the myth that –without landing craft or air strikes– invades and seduces millions of minds settled in Europe (also an exporter of those empty values), Asia, and Latin America.
“Information” maneuvers with the clear central objective to have de-politicization and banality govern the everyday life of an international society that –according to their plan– should become increasingly more individual and private, and less collective and social.
This cultural model based on sensationalism, the excessive transcendence of the image, and the exaltation of celebrities (true or fabricated), is aimed at focusing popular attention on egocentric principles with numbing effects. It has the same purpose – only now on a scale unimaginable in the mid 20th Century—that one day made my cousin try and fail to look like Rita Hayworth.
Author: Yeilén Delgado Calvo
nacionales@granma.cu
May 4, 2018 21:05:20
A CubaNews translation.
Edited by Walter Lippmann.
For schools to be a place of love and inclusion, where ethical principles and references for life are built and reinforced, means preventing and confronting all manifestations of discrimination.
Teachers must therefore have the tools to identify situations of harassment, as well as the clarity and scientific culture to address these realities. In addition, the family should alert them to any experience of rejection, physical, verbal or psychological abuse suffered or referred by their child in the school setting, and reinforce the culture of respect from home.
Mariela Castro Espín, director of the National Sex Education Center (Cenesex), urged this during the press conference of the 11th International Conference on Sex Education. edition of the Cuban Conference against Homophobia and Transphobia, which will run until 18 May, to promote respect for free and responsible sexual orientation and gender identity.
Although the Cuban school stands out in the world for its levels of security, realities marked by mockery, physical or verbal abuse, situations of social exclusion and the use of a naturalized homophobic and sexist language must be made visible in order to overcome them, said Mariela.
The Director of Cenesex, an institution that celebrates its 30th anniversary, highlighted the support of the Cuban Party and Government in raising awareness among the population, educating them to overcome prejudices and moving forward, without ignoring resistance, in generating awareness and consensus. He also mentioned the alliances with Cuba’s Central de Trabajadores and the Ministry of Education, and said that the significance of Cuba’s projection for schools without homophobia or transphobia transcends its borders, since the island is a point of reference.
The agenda of the Conference gives relevance to the topics of formation, and the province of Pinar del Río will be the venue. Two emblematic events are to be held: the Gala, at the Karl Marx Theatre, on May 11 at 8:30 p.m.and the Conga and Diversity Festival, which this year begins at 6:30 p.m. May 12, and will go from Línea y Paseo to the José Antonio Echeverría Recreational Center.
By Darío Gabriel Sánchez García
Journalist and photojournalist. Professor of Photography and Audiovisual Production at the Faculty of Communication of the University of Havana.
May 18, 2018
Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews.
This Friday, the stage of the great Cuban events, the Karl Marx Theatre, was filled with people at the 11th Cuban gala against homophobia and transphobia, under the slogan “For schools without homophobia and transphobia”.The gala featured nationally recognized international artists such as Alain Daniel, Diván, Haila, Laritza Bacallao, Migue-DECUBA, Proyecto Voces, Yotuel, as well as the dance companies Acosta Danza, Rakatán, Coro de la Escuela René Vilches, Latin Dance Ballet and Revolution.
With the presence of Roberto Morales Ojeda, Minister of Public Health, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee and Vice-President of the State Council; Ena Elsa Velázquez, Minister of Higher Education; José Ramón Saborido, Minister of Higher Education and Mariela Castro Espín, Director of the National Sex Education Center (Cenesex), among other personalities, this eleventh edition is being held within the framework of the celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Cenesex, an institution that since 2007 has strengthened its educational strategy to promote the full and responsible exercise of sexual rights as inherent to human beings.
Beyond the artistic display, the gala was also the occasion for the presentation of special awards by Cenesex to Carla Antonelli, and recognized LGBT rights activist who since 2011 serves as deputy of the Assembly of Madrid by the Spanish Socialist Workers Party, becoming the first and only transgender woman in Spain to accede to this position. Also honored was Mike Jackson, an English activist and one of the founders of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, a lesbian and gay organization that came together to support striking miners from 1984 to 1985 in Britain after the Thatcher government confiscated funds from that sector of the workforce.
The “In memoriam” prize was awarded to the recently deceased journalist, researcher and professor Isabel Moya Richard. From her position as director of the Women’s Publishing House, of the magazine Mujeres, and as president of the Chair of Gender and Communication at the José Martí International Institute of Journalism, Isabel Moya was always a fervent defender of gender equality.
ACN 39
Cuba-provincias
By Evelyn Corbillón Díaz
A CubaNews translation.
Edited by Walter Lippmann.
Carrying banners, multicolored banners and the national flag, attendees danced down José Martí Street to Independence Park on the day the World Health Organization’s General Assembly removed homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses in 1990.
Comparsas, floats, bands of schools and artists on stilts of the street theater group Tecma, integrated the parade this morning with the population of the westernmost territory of Cuba.
I am part of the Revolution, I am also Fidel, were some of the slogans of Pinar del Río residents, visitors from other provinces and latitudes who joined the Cuban conga; and many did not miss the opportunity to share the moment on social networks.
For schools without homophobia or transphobia is the motto of the educational campaign that for the second consecutive year accompanies this day, and focuses on homophobic and transphobic bullying.
Gelen Valdés, an eleventh-grader at the Rafael Ferro Urban Pre-University Institute in this city, defended the right to free sexual orientation and assured ACN that it could not miss the conga to share with diverse people and enjoy.
Pinar del Río, the host province of the eleventh Cuban Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, is hosting an extensive programme of activities since Tuesday, including exhibitions, literary presentations, mini-sports, exchanges in educational centres and conferences by Dr Mariela Castro Espín, director of the National Centre for Sex Education.
Castro Espín thanked the people of Pinar del Río for their participation in this type of activities, including the National Program of Education and Sexual Health; he assured that the whole island is advancing in the goals of the Revolution, and one of its struggles is against homophobia and transphobia.
(Photos available for this information at http://fotos.acn.cu)
ecd/mpv/cmb 18 13:07
ACN 39
Cuba-provincias
Por Evelyn Corbillón Díaz
Pinar del Río, 17 may (ACN) Pinareños de todas las edades y sectores desfilaron por la arteria principal de esta ciudad en muestra de respeto a la libre y responsable orientación sexual e identidad de género, en la conga cubana contra la homofobia y la transfobia.
Portadores de pancartas, banderolas multicolores y de la enseña nacional, los asistentes bailaron por la calle José Martí hasta el Parque de la Independencia, en el día en que en 1990 la Asamblea General de la Organización Mundial de la Salud eliminó a la homosexualidad de la lista de enfermedades mentales.
Comparsas, carroza, bandas de escuelas vueltabajeras y artistas en zancos del grupo de teatro callejero Tecma, integraron el desfile de esta mañana junto a la población del territorio más occidental de Cuba.
Soy parte de la Revolución, yo también soy Fidel, fueron algunas de las consignas de pinareños, visitantes de otras provincias y latitudes que se sumaron a la conga cubana; y muchos no perdieron la oportunidad de compartir el momento en las redes sociales.
Por escuelas sin homofobia ni transfobia es el lema de la campaña educativa que por segundo año consecutivo acompaña a esta jornada, y se centra en el bullying o acoso escolar homofóbico y transfóbico.
Gelen Valdés, alumna de oncena grado del Instituto Preuniversitario Urbano Rafael Ferro, de esta ciudad, defendió el derecho a la libre orientación sexual y aseguró a la ACN que no podía perderse la conga para compartir con personas diversas y disfrutar.
Pinar del Río, provincia sede de la oncena jornada cubana contra la homofobia y la transfobia, acoge desde el martes un amplio programa de actividades que incluye exposiciones, presentaciones literarias, miniferias, intercambios en centros educacionales y conferencias de la doctora Mariela Castro Espín, directora del Centro Nacional de Educación Sexual.
Castro Espín agradeció a la población pinareña por su participación en este tipo de actividades, incluso, en el Programa Nacional de Educación y Salud Sexual; en tanto aseguró que toda la isla avanza en las metas de la Revolución, y una de sus luchas, es contra la homofobia y la transfobia.
(Fotos disponibles para esta información en http://fotos.acn.cu)
ecd/mpv/cmb 18 13:07
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