And it should be noted there have been changes for the better. I once worked closely with Osvaldo Pradere, a poet and playwright who had to flee Cuba because his art frequently featured LGBTQ people and themes. The Castro regime for many years was dedicated to suppressing the island’s nascent queer movement. Pradere, before he came to the United States, spend time in a Cuban prison.

But all that has changed. While homophobia is still a big problem in Cuban culture, the government no longer weaponizes it. During the Raul Castro era, government-sponsored Pride parades even began to be seen, and not limited to Havana. Cuba now offers queer literature and other art to the rest of the world.

This isn’t to say the Cuban government is some sort of ideal government or that Cuban culture is perfect. But I can think of so many strong US allies who treat their people far worse than the Cuban government treats the Cuban people.

It’s time we got over our Red Scare era fear of communism. We need to accept our neighbors for who they choose to be.