West Hollywood

Take me to Cuba
Friday, June 16, 2000
West Hollywood officials hope to open ties with island nation while on a sister-city visit
By CORY FISHER

Elian Gonzalez hasn't seen his grandparents lately, but West Hollywood City Councilman Steve Martin has.

Martin, his deputy Sarah Bradshaw and John Mulcrone--Martin's partner of eight years--returned
from Cuba May 27 after attending a Havana conference hosted by the United States- Cuba Sister Cities Assn. During their seven-day trip, it was arranged for the trio--joined by other American city officials--to meet with Gonzalez's relatives. Martin presented the family with West Hollywood's official resolution calling for Elian's immediate return to Cuba.

Elian's family was extremely appreciative of West Hollywood's resolution, said Bradshaw, who wanted to "let the grandparents know that many Americans side with them on this issue.

"I hugged Elian's great-grandmother and said 'I'm so sorry,"' Bradshaw added. "It's clear she's getting old and wants to see Elian again."

While the Gonzalez family visit was clearly a highlight for the group during their weeklong stay, Martin returned with enthusiasm regarding the establishment of a relationship between West Hollywood and a yet-to-be named Cuban city or region. Initial hopes to become sister-cities with Havana were quickly squelched, as Havana has already been heavily wooed by other cities, and to date has formal partnerships with more than five other American regions. Martin said they are now considering a shared partnership with Oakland, in Santiago de Cuba, the country's second largest city.

"But we have work to do before we go back to the City Council for final approval," Martin said. "This sister-city relationship needs to be a grass-roots effort of citizen diplomacy, not merely formal relations between city officials."

Martin said another trip may be required before a specific sister city is identified. Anxious to end the embargo, Martin said Cuban cities are "falling all over themselves" to form sister-city relationships in the United States.

The Havana conference, which included roughly 100 representatives from American cities, focused primarily on the cultural, educational and governmental aspects of cities in the two countries. Other California municipalities that attended included Santa Cruz, Oakland, Richmond, Hayward, San Francisco, San Diego and Marin County.

The trip cost roughly $3,000 and was paid for by the West Hollywood Convention and Visitors Bureau. Mulcrone said he covered his own expenses.

While the current U.S. embargo--referred to by Cubans as "the blockade"--would in most cases prohibit Cubans from visiting West Hollywood, Martin said the initial benefits of an established intercity relationship would include giving West Hollywood residents the opportunity to travel freely to Cuba under a sister-city license.In addition, there are opportunities for West Hollywood to offer humanitarian aid. Martin's contingent toured an "AIDS sanitarium," where they spoke freely with patients.

"Of the 1,500 who have been diagnosed with AIDS in Cuba, only 100 are on cocktail drugs, something
most Americans have access to," Martin said. "In Cuba, they don't have access to AIDS drugs due to the embargo. It's beyond their reach cost wise. We could possibly adopt a city and provide cocktails, even for one person."

Bradshaw arrived home even more baffled by the perceived need for an embargo.

"Cubans are anxious and thrilled to meet Americans, to reach out," he said. "I realize we've had our own embargo here when it comes to information on Cuban life. We have a lot to learn from each other."

West Hollywood delegation to visit Cuba, 5/19

Friday, May 19, 2000

News from West Hollywood in the
Times Community Newspapers

West Hollywood delegation to visit Cuba

Representatives looking to establish sister-city
ties, but some question trip.

By CORY FISHER

A group of West Hollywood city officials will
leave for Cuba on Saturday in hopes of
developing a sister-city relationship with a
yet-to-be-chosen Cuban city.

Led by Councilman Steve Martin, the group
will meet other representatives from U.S. and
Cuban cities in Havana for a three-day confer-
ence sponsored by the United States-Cuba
Sister City Assn. In addition to the pairing of
sister cities, the conference will focus on
cultural education and government relations.

Once West Hollywood has been matched
with its own sister city, delegates will travel to
their assigned region. Other participating
California government bodies include the
cities of Santa Cruz, Oakland, Richmond,
Hayward, San Francisco, San Diego and
Marin County.

"We're interested in forming a partnership
with a city like Havana," Martin said. "Havana
has a vibrant night life, which is what West
Hollywood is renowned for. We hope to pair
up with a city that has flourishing arts, music
and architecture. An artists' exchange could
really add something culturally to West
Hollywood."

Martin's deputy, Sarah Bradshaw will join
Martin on the trip, along with John Mulcrone,
Martin's partner. Mulcrone will cover his own
expenses. The trip is expected to cost roughly
$3,000 and will be paid for by the West Holly-
wood Convention & Visitors Bureau. Humani-
tarian aide supplies -- such as donated
medicine -- crutches and wheelchairs will be
brought by the West Hollywood contingent.

In January, the City Council passed a resolution
calling for the return of Elian Gonzalez to his
family in Cuba. At that time, the council voted
to explore a sister-city relationship with a Cuban
city. The eight-day trip is the culmination of
those
efforts.

But not all West Hollywood residents have come
out in support of this effort. Some have ques-
tioned why city time and energy is being spent
on the trip and also why a gay-friendly American
city would seek out a relationship with a country
whose history has included intolerance of gays
and lesbians.

"This is a local municipality and the council is
always making proclamations on foreign policy,"
said West Hollywood resident James Fuhrman.
"In the meantime, the San Vicente Park pool may
not be open in time for summer, and business
owners are struggling because of the construc-
tion on Santa Monica Boulevard. I think the
council has good intentions, but their main goal
is to get a free trip to Cuba. Local concerns
should be their first priority."

Martin said he hopes to meet with gay organi-
zations and visit an AIDS hospice in Cuba to
discuss issues of tolerance.

"People I've talked to who have visited recently
say there's a gay life emerging from the
shadows, a growing tolerance," Martin said.
"Canadian and European tourists have allowed
a certain amount of gay culture to flourish."

The goal of the Sister-Cities Assn. is to match
similar geographic areas so that cities can
meet regionally to support an ongoing
relationship and cultural exchange.

Six American cities now have sister-city
relationships with Cuban cities.

Ray Reynolds -- who was on the board of a
sister-cities organization in Dayton, Ohio,
before coming to West Hollywood to be its
director of community services, said he does
not think the historic friction between the two
nations will be an issue.

"My experience with sister cities is that it has
more to do with the cities than the ideology
of the government; it's a person-to-person
exchange," Reynolds said. "But it's all very
exciting and unknown."

The West Hollywood delegation will return
May 27.

Los Angeles Times

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West Hollywood delegation to visit Cuba, 5/19

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