"Por Mis Derechos Lo Mas Grande" - A Study of Havanan Independent LGBT-Activism and Contentious Claim-Making in a Non-Democratic Regime

Abstract

In July 2018, the Cuban government announced a constitutional reform process in which the possibility of same-sex marriage was included. Despite Cuba’s reputation as relatively tolerant country, accepting of the LGBT-community, this proposition caused much commotion and an unusual spur of contention among the population. This thesis explains how Havanan independent LGBT-activists were able to make claims to enhance their rights within the non-democratic regime of Cuba after this proposed legalization of same-sex marriage. By using contentious politics theory, this research contributes to the relatively underdeveloped body of literature using this theory to examine non-democratic regimes. In addition, three factors acknowledged to influence the development of LGBT-rights in Latin America are integrated in this research. Given the limited studies into the LGBT-rights in Cuba, this research therefore also contributes to the literature on Latin America’s ‘gay-rights revolution’. The research shows that despite the fragmented and disadvantageous position of Havanan independent LGBT-activists, they use four approaches that still enable them to make contentious claims. Furthermore, the research underscores the need to understand the pervasive power of the Cuban government on contention, which impacts the applicability of the three factors about Latin America’s ‘gay-rights revolution’.