MIAMI ( Change of Heart - U.S has Granted Castro's Daughter a Visa to attend LGBT Conference )

 Cuban Leader’s Daughter Granted U.S. Visa

MIAMI – The U.S. State Department finally granted a visa to Cuban President Raul Castro’s daughter so that she can attend a May 2-5 forum on LGBT issues in Philadelphia, Equality Forum, the organizer of the seminar, said on Tuesday.

“Equality Forum is delighted that the State Department has affirmed democratic values by authorizing Mariela Castro to speak at Equality Forum 2013,” said Equality Forum executive director Malcolm Lazin in a statement.

Initially, the State Department had denied permission to Mariela Castro to travel to Philadelphia, although it allowed her to travel to the United Nations in New York.

The forum will pay special attention at this conference to the situation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Cuba.

Mariela Castro, who is the director of the Cuban National Center for Sex Education, months ago accepted the organization’s invitation to be a panelist on the forum’s “Cuba: Featured Nation Panel.”

During the forum, the daughter of the Cuban president will also receive the International Ally for LGBT Equality Award at the International Equality Dinner to acknowledge her work for the rights of the LGBT community.

Equality Forum is a national and international LGBT civil rights organization with an educational focus. EFE