Cuba’s legalisation of same-sex marriage and “altruistic” surrogacy has revived debate half a world away in a major trading and ideological partner, China. In a national referendum last week, Cubans voted overwhelmingly in favour of a “family code” allowing non-commercial surrogate pregnancies and same-sex couples to marry. The code also introduces measures against gender-based violence, increases the rights of women, the elderly and children, and encourages families to share the housework load evenly. Cuba is the 32nd country to legalise same-sex marriage and is the first socialist nation to make the shift, marking a major departure from the past when homosexuals risked losing their jobs and being sent to labour camps because of their sexuality.