IDENTIDADES 1 ENGLISH IDENTIDADES 7 ENGLISH | Page 82

A Difficult Conversation
Nonardo Perea
Havana, Cuba

I

t is hard to interview people like Antonio Amaral, a 27 year old man who immediately claims his right to not answer certain questions, and that neither his name or image
can be published. This is one of those interviews in which I, as an openly gay man,
am bothered, and am not totally satisfied, although I understand that every human being
has the right to say what he or she wants and, of course, we should respect their privacy.
At least the young man answered some questions: his answers help us understand there
are still problems regarding acceptance in male and female, homosexual circles in contemporary Havana.

NP: How long has it been since you’ve
had sexual relations with a woman?
AA: Approximately one year.
NP: Do you consider yourself homosexual or bisexual?
AA: I am bisexual, although I define
myself as someone with varied tastes.
I’m not very in favor of those classifications that are so often used today.
NP: What differences to you encounter
between having sex with a woman or a
man? ¿Which of the two do you prefer?
AA: If I have to express a difference, I
prefer women, but when one is having
sexual relations, it doesn’t make much of
a difference. What happens is that sometimes women tend to be more sensual
and delicate; in general, men have
rougher sex and maybe know exactly
how and where to find the pleasure
point. Women give more of themselves
and are more docile, although not al-

ways. I enjoy sex equally with men and
women. The problem is that all of us
have sex in the same way, and some of
us like some people more than others. It
is not about gender; every single person
is different, and all of us somehow could
be bisexual, or at least feel something
from a same-sexed person.
NP: Do you think there are many people like you in Cuba, and others who
choose to lead a double life, to avoid
complications with their families,
friends, and society?
AA: Yes, and not only in Cuba, but all
over the world, right now, there are millions of people who are leading a double
life for fear of what people might say. It
would bring me problems with my family because ever since I was a kid I heard
negative comments about homosexuals.
My uncles are super machos, machazos,
as we say in Cuba; I don’t know how
they’d take the news. That would be

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