Castro's niece in Philly for gay rights conference

Posted on Friday, 05.03.13

Castro's niece in Philly for gay rights conference
By KATHY MATHESON
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA -- The niece of Fidel Castro said Friday on a trip to
Philadelphia that she believes Cuba and the U.S. will have normal
relations one day, but she doesn't know when.

"I wish ... I was a magician or (one of those) people who knows
everything. That's not the case," Mariela Castro said through a Spanish
interpreter. But, she said, "that dream (is) going to be a reality someday."

Castro spoke during a tour of the city's historic sites one day before
she plans to attend a gay rights conference. The U.S. State Department
had initially denied Castro permission to attend the event, but relented
earlier this week.

Castro visited the Liberty Bell - an icon of democracy - even as critics
say her family has run a repressive Communist dictatorship for decades.
Her father, Raul Castro, is Cuba's president and the brother of retired
strongman.

Mariela Castro spoke briefly to reporters during her sightseeing tour.
Asked about the health of her uncle and father, Castro replied: "They're
wonderful, and I learn a lot from their example."

Commenting on the gay rights movement in the U.S., she said, "In this
election especially, they showed that they form a very important vote in
American society."

A married mother of three, Castro leads Cuba's National Center for Sex
Education, which is part of the island nation's public health ministry.
She is the country's most prominent gay rights activist, having trained
police on relations with the LGBT community and lobbied lawmakers to
legalize same-sex unions. She was elected as a deputy in Cuba's
parliament in February.

On Saturday she'll speak on a panel at the gay rights summit sponsored
by the nonprofit Equality Forum and receive an award from the advocacy
group.

She also plans to hold a news conference Saturday evening.

Castro took in the sights on Friday with Equality Forum executive
director Malcolm Lazin and a few others.

At the Liberty Bell, a ranger from the National Park Service explained
its history and significance to her in Spanish. The group then stopped
at a historic marker across the street commemorating some of the
country's first demonstrations for gay rights before heading to tour
Independence Hall.

Follow Kathy Matheson at www.twitter.com/kmatheson

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