Law permits adult trans people to have their chosen gender of male or female on birth certificates.
Havana — Victoria Escribano, a young Cuban trans woman, has for years delayed opening a bank account because she wants her name and the gender listed on her legal documents to match her chosen gender identity.
Now after Cuban legislators passed a law in July allowing trans people to change their gender identity on their IDs more easily, Escribano is encouraged to take that step.
“For people like me, having a legal basis that protects us, either when doing some paperwork or just stepping into a place, it’s a pretty big advance,” said Escribano, 21, who works selling handicrafts.
Specifically, the law will permit adult trans people in Cuba to change their legal gender identity, allowing them to have their chosen gender of male or female on birth certificates, government-issued ID cards and other legal documents without having to show proof of gender-affirming surgery, obtain a court order or show they have no criminal record.
The bill, which is expected to come into effect by mid-2026, marks a major step towards legal recognition of the LGBTQ+ community on the Caribbean island.
Justice minister Oscar Silvera Martínez said on social media that the law allows “the country to have a modern civil registry”.
Ever Luis Valdespino, who works as an orchestra production assistant, said he hopes the new law eliminates bureaucratic hurdles that have made the legal process difficult, if not impossible.
“It’s what I’ve always wanted,” said Valdespino. “It’s really embarrassing to have to show your ID card and be frowned upon just because your name and gender marker don’t match your body,” he said.
