During pride month I am so proud to say that chapter 24 in my book was worth fighting for. The editor thought it would alienate the Christian conservative community. I didn’t listen, I didn’t even consider the argument.
I remember what I lived through in the 1970’s Cuba, and the inhumane way the gay community was treated. That truth had to be told. Between the ages of 10 and 12, I went to visit the “Forces work camps” that were built by the communists to punish the gays.
My dad was sent there as a cook and was being punished for being a Christian. He had never cooked for more than 6 people, the government thought this was extra punishment for the gay community. My brother and I went to the camp 4 days a week during the summers.
We witnessed the abuse of what we thought were decent and caring human beings. When suicides happened, no one ever called it suicide. Healthy, young men in their early 20’s were simply dying for no reason. I now wonder what “cause of death” was written on their death certificate.
The guards broke their spirits on a daily basis with name calling. The work conditions were horrible. They had to clean up smelly, disgusting chicken coops, feed the chickens and collect all the eggs. The routine was both morning and afternoons. Most new inmates would be sick for days, unable to eat: yet they still had to work.
There were hundreds of them. I was the only girl surrounded by a few hundred gay men. I always felt safe, loved, care for. They put on plays for us kids at lunch time. They used props, they taught us more about art than I would have ever learned from any art school. I could identify artists, their style and media with ease. I learned about Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Velazques, Dali, Van Gogh and Picasso. The difference between a Manet and a Monet. I learned about American artists such as Norman Rockwell, Mary Cassad and Grandma Moses. During those two summers I learned history and absorbed information that lasted me a lifetime.
My young mind could not comprehend why they were being punished. I heard the Christian community saying they were going to hell. Why would such beautiful, kind hearted, loving men go to hell? I keep asking myself. As I grew up, I realized that it was their limited interpretation of what they thought God wanted. I then asked myself, should God be the one that decides or does He need men to punish these individuals?
I do not need to have to have a child, a sibling or a friend who is gay to realize that they have all the rights as anyone else. A person’s sex orientation should not minimize their status. They shouldn’t have to hide it or apologize for it. They don’t have to demand laws to protect them. They don’t need protection, they need to be treated as everyone else.
I am glad I wrote that chapter. I am glad that gay pride parades go on. I enjoyed the time and effort that the detainees at the forced labor camp put on, just to bring us a smile. I have always being grateful to them for enriching my life. I am embarrassed at times by the Christian community and our self-appointed righteousness.
My brother and I coexisted with hundreds of gay men for 8 hours a day, 4 days a week. During a period of two summers, roughly amounted to 260 hours. Neither one of us are gay or curious about it. The gay community has been putting up with heterosexual couples since they could talk. Soap operas, television and cinema has been nothing but heterosexual shows. Mickey and Minnie, Donald and Daisy, not to mention all the rest of Disney’s love stories.
Not a single gay person has turned heterosexual by watching couples kiss on television. Why are we afraid that a “heterosexual” child will turn gay by watching gays kiss? Are heterosexual children that weak minded? Maybe they are already gay and living a life that is not authentic.
I worry about eggs being almost $6 a carton, a box of cereal being $5. I worry about children not being able to get a decent breakfast. I worry about China partnering up with Russia and becoming unstoppable. I worry about Iran and North Korea being mentally unstable and having nuclear weapons. I worry about the Christian community and our ability to lose focus of what is important for our children’s future.
My dad told me many times that I didn’t die for anyone, it is not my job to judge anyone. He would say: “He who died should decide.” I believe in a loving Savior that came from heaven to save those that believed I him. I cannot believe their sexual orientation is part of his list of requirements. I am very proud of chapter 24 on Barefoot to freedom.
Hildy Valenzuela Wendtland
June 2023
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