Evangelical churches in Cuba are
campaigning against a proposed constitutional change that would open
the door to same-sex marriage.
In July, Cuba's National Assembly
approved a draft constitution that would allow gay couples to marry
in Cuba. The public will weigh in through a consultation to be held
later this year.
The constitutional change is being
spearheaded by Deputy Mariela Castro, the daughter of Communist Party
chief Raul Castro and the head of Cuba's National Center for Sex
Education.
According
to Reuters,
a group of 21 evangelical denominations have started gathering
signatures for a petition against the amendment, titled Article 68.
“We do not in any way approve Article
68 … because the Bible condemns it,” Pastor Lester Fernandez told
a cheering crowd of around 500 people earlier this month.
The campaign includes posters
celebrating the “original family design, just as God created it”
plastered on church doors and windows.
Reuters noted that the campaign in a
country that once jailed religious people, as it did gays, has
surprised many people. Cuba does not officially recognize LGBT
activists, making them unable to launch their own campaigns in favor
of the amendment.
The Roman Catholic Church has also
expressed its opposition to marriage equality, but has yet to
organize against the proposed amendment.