Cubans split over more liberal family code as referendum nears

LGBT activists Eberto Garcia Abreuin (L) and Felix Ortiz Ramos play with their cat during an interview with Reuters in Havana, Cuba, March 28, 2022. REUTERS/Stringer

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba's communist government is seeking to rally support for a new family code that would open the door to gay marriage and boost women's rights, but experts and a recent survey suggest an upcoming referendum vote may not provide a rubber stamp.

Tepid support for the reforms, which clash with the island's entrenched "machista" culture, threatens to hand state-backed supporters a defeat amid a government push to encourage open and frank debate.