TransHabana

TransHabana offers an insight into the daily lives of transgender people in Cuba.

Being transgender in Cuba entails a high risk of social exclusion. The first obstacle they usually face is family rejection, which often leads to an early dropout from the education system and into a cycle of marginalisation. Leaving the family environment without adequate education frequently forces many trans people into sex work as their only means of survival.

The construction of a new gender identity is a complex challenge. Transitioning from an assigned gender identity to another involves a long and demanding process of both physical and psychological transformation. In most cases, some transgender women establish submissive relationships with male partners, in which they attempt to assume the traditional female role. This can, in some instances, lead to the acceptance of high levels of psychological and even physical abuse, in order to be recognised as the female partner in the relationship.