North Korean defectors claim that homosexuality is simply not discussed in the country, and most have no idea of the existence of such sexual practices until leaving. It is therefore estimated that most North Korean homosexuals are conditioned or coerced into marriage without fully comprehending their feelings. During the 1960s, North Korean youth brigades would voyage to Cuba to harvest sugar cane as a gesture of solidarity, though relations became strained as the Cuban government deported some youth brigades for homosexuality.