Castro's Niece Praises Obama

Cuba's leading LGBT rights advocate, Mariela Castro, is praising President Obama for his evolution on same-sex marriage.

The U.S. president delivered a message that was "humane, understanding, in which he even recognizes that he too has been changing his opinion in favor of marriage, the free union of same-sex couples," said Mariela Castro, who is Cuba's most prominent gay rights activist as head of the National Center for Sex Education, or Cenesex. "Hopefully his words will be taken seriously in the political and legislative decisions made in different states and in the whole world," Castro said, adding that such statements by Obama and other politicians must be accompanied by concrete actions if they are to be made into reality.

Cuba's legislature is currently considering recognition of same-sex unions.