Cuba has made a historic leap in LGBTQ+ rights with the legalisation of gender self-identification, meaning trans people can now change their legal gender without undergoing surgery.
The landmark legislation, passed earlier this month by the National Assembly of People’s Power, also introduces sweeping reforms to the country’s civil registry. Among the changes are the recognition of common-law partnerships and a move towards digitising paper records, modernising the island nation’s administrative systems.
Cuban Minister of Justice Oscar Silvera Martínez hailed the development on X, stating the new law:
“Will allow the country to have a modern civil registry… including the issuance of digital documents with full validity and efficiency.”
President Miguel Díaz-Canel also voiced his support on social media, separately praising a newly enacted youth protection law aimed at ensuring better rights and safety for young people.
This latest step marks one of the most significant legislative shifts in favour of trans and LGBTQ+ rights in Cuba since 2022, when the country voted to approve a comprehensive family law code. That reform legalised same-sex marriage, permitted adoption by same-sex couples, and expanded broader LGBTQ+ protections.
At the time, Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla said:
“Our people opted for a revolutionary, uplifting law that drives us to achieve social justice for which we work every day. Today, we are a better country with more rights.”
This new gender recognition law builds on that momentum, placing Cuba among a growing number of countries embracing trans self-ID laws that do not require invasive medical procedures as a prerequisite for legal gender change.
