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Queer Cinema World Tour: Havana, as seen in ‘Strawberry and Chocolate’

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Queer Cinema World Tour is our regular feature taking you to destinations behind your favourite LGBTQ2S+ film moments. This week we visit Havana, Cuba, the setting for 1993’s Strawberry and Chocolate.

Sorry, my American friends. This week’s destination is tricky (though not impossible) for you to visit. But if you can’t act on any of these travel recommendations, then perhaps just watching this queer classic will give you something of a Cuban adventure—at least circa 1979, when the film is set.

The film’s most iconic scene signals that Strawberry and Chocolate is as much about politics as it is about romance and sex. David (Vladimir Cruz), rejected by his girlfriend, goes to Havana’s Coppelia ice cream parlour to drown his sorrows in ice cream. The parlour, located at the corner of Calle 23 and L in Havana, is a huge modernist structure, with lots of outdoor seating. It was built in 1966, spearheaded by Fidel Castro himself, a sign of his confidence in the Cuban dairy industry, who wanted to demonstrate his power over the everyday life of Cubans—you have to go to the government to even get your ice cream. And yet by the 1970s, Coppelia had become known as one of the cruisiest places for gay men in Havana, and there were subtle codes guys could use to signal their interests out there in plain sight.

David sits alone at a table until Diego (Jorge Perugorría) shows up with a bouquet of sunflowers and an abrupt “Con permiso?” and claims the free seat across from him. Diego then orders strawberry ice cream even though chocolate—which is by far the more popular flavour—is available that day. David, knowing exactly what that order means, considers fleeing, but decides not to. And so our two protagonists become entangled. David is asked to spy on Diego, due to being seen as dangerous to Communism and the regime, while Diego, who is an artist, does something to cause others to speculate on David’s sexual orientation.

qcwt strawberry and chocolate
The film captures Havana’s crumbling infrastructure.

Fidel Castro was horrible to LGBTQ+ people; in 2010, just six years before he died, he accepted personal responsibility for persecuting queer and trans people during and after the 1959 Cuban Revolution, including sending them to labour camps. But things have gradually changed in Cuba, particularly since the 2000s. That’s partly due to the advocacy work of Fidel Castro’s niece, Mariela Castro, the daughter of former president Raúl Castro—it’s handy to have friends in high places. A more cynical perspective would also credit the increasing government tolerance and acceptance of the fact that the Cuban economy is so dependent on foreign tourism—homophobia isn’t good hospitality branding these days. Societal attitudes have also changed. In 2022, Cubans voted in favour of allowing same-sex couples to marry and adopt children.

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You can still visit Havana’s Coppelia, though it’s probably not as cruisy as it once was—these days there are other places to go.

For a hipper and more overtly LGBTQ+ friendly resto-bar, try the long-standing  Madrigal Bar Cafe (4JM2+3QF, Calle 17, Havana), which has its own film connection—it’s owned by Rafael Rosales, who has worked on many films himself.

Havana’s gay scene has evolved in a culture of discretion, even if what’s going on behind doors is full-on rainbow. There’s also the added obstacle of Cuba’s horrible internet—most venues have little or no web presence and it can be tricky to research online. You’re going to have to poke around to see what’s opened and what’s new. XY (formerly Bar Myxto, 4JRG+6H2, La, Autopista Este-Oeste, Rosa Marina, Havana) has drag shows and tapas, as does long-running Cabaret Las Vegas (4JRC+4G8, Havana).

A new generation of unapologetically LGBTQ+-oriented businesses, fueled by foreign investment, has been springing up post-pandemic. There’s the “hetero friendly” Barcelona-based hotel chain Axel, which has opened the Axel Telégrafo here (Calle Prado 408, esquina de la Calle Neptuno, Havana) in the old town of the capital. The recently renovated 63-room gay playground opened in 2022, occupying the landmark building of the Hotel Telégrafo, which first opened in 1860. That’s an undeniable, highly visible piece of queer real estate, with a fitness centre and rooftop pool. 

About a half-hour drive outside of the capital, there’s Mi Cayito beach, a strip of the Playas del Este, over which the Pride flag proudly waves. It’s a great place to meet the locals on weekends—and you don’t have to guess about which flavour of ice cream they prefer. From Havana, you can arrange for a taxi to take you there and pick you up.

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In fact, if beaches, rather than cities, are your scene, Cuba has recently got itself another dedicated LGBTQ+-oriented property, the Gran Muthu Rainbow Hotel, Cayo Guillermo (off Caya Coco). Declaring itself to be Cuba’s first all-inclusive adults-only LGBTQ+ hotel, the place is unabashedly queer not just in the clientele, but in its entertainment (think drag).

If an active holiday is more your style, then Canadian-based Out Adventures offers a couple of different Cuba tours, including a cultural tour, with stops in Havana and the charming city of Trinidad. Because of the cultural focus, the tour is legal for Americans to take. That’s progress.

Strawberry and Chocolate ends on an ambiguous note of betrayal, loss and hope. Diego is fired, blacklisted by the government and ultimately decides to leave Cuba. These days, he probably wouldn’t feel as forced to make that decision based on his sexual orientation. LGBTQ+ visitors, at least, are more welcomed these days.

Travel tips and insights for LGBTQ2S+ travellers. In-depth travel guides and inspirational ideas for your next trip.

Pink Ticket is sent out every other week.

Travel tips and insights for LGBTQ2S+ travellers. In-depth travel guides and inspirational ideas for your next trip.

Pink Ticket is sent out every other week.

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