Morrocan gays
How Morocco became a haven for gay Westerners in the 1950s
Although some assume the writers were revolting against a soulless, suburban McCarthyite America, Hopkins says it was more straightforward. "They were after boys and drugs. That's what drew them. The Moroccans were charming, attractive, intelligent and tolerant. They had to put up with a lot from us."
So why did Morocco, an ostensibly devout Islamic nation, allow homosexuality to thrive? The author Barnaby Rogerson says it is a society that is occupied of paradoxes.
"It is... a place where all the four different cornerstones of culture: Berber-African, Mediterranean, Arabic or Islamic, share an absolute belief in the abundant sexuality of all men and women, who are charged with a sort of personal volcano of 'fitna', which threatens family, society and mention with sexually derived chaos at any time," he says. The word fitna, he suggests, "means something like 'charm, allure, enchantment, temptation, dissent, unrest, riot, rebellion' or all of these at the identical time."
But despite a certain fear of this chaos of sexuality, there is also an knowledge that it is just
Abdellah Taïa was born in 1973 in Rabat, Morocco. He currently lives in Paris. He is the first writer from north Africa – and in fact the Arab planet – to openly proclaim that he is queer . In 2006, he came out in a highly publicised article in the Moroccan magazine Tel Quel. This was considered scandalous by conservative Muslims.
Being queer is often seen as conflicting with creature religious. Yet, in African contexts – as in other parts of the world – religion and queerness intersect in multiple and productive ways.
Read more: Love, aggression and daily survival: inside Morocco's LGBTIQ community
Much of the academic study of religion and queerness in Africa has focused on Christianity. This runs the risk of reinforcing the idea of Islam as a more homophobic “other”. However, Islam can be a resource of gender non-conforming creativity and subjectivity in contemporary Africa.
A petite but growing body of literary works have represented what queerness means in African Muslim societies. Taia’s novels are a significant example of this.
We came together as a scholar of French and queer literature, and a scholar of religion and African studies to reflect on Taïa’s work alongside texts by queer
Guide for gay people visiting Morocco
I can only feel empathy and solidarity with Ray Cole and his partner (Report, 17 October). It must have been a horrific and frightening experience. But as an openly gay man who has travelled more than 20 times to Morocco in the last decade (often with my partner), it seems useful to produce some things eliminate to other female homosexual and gay travellers. 1) Male homosexuality is, theoretically, illegal in Morocco. However, the law is not imposed frequently. 2) Homosexuality is an accepted part of Moroccan customs and has been for centuries. Most ordinary people are not hostile if you respect local customs (discretion, not pursuing underage boys etc). In addition, extreme Islamism is very rare in Morocco. 3) The whole state apparatus in Morocco has problems with corruption. This means that officials, including police, can act for personal motives – of power, wealth or religion – without much regard for legal niceties. I have mostly found warm and open acceptance from ordinary Moroccan people as a male lover man. Indeed, sometimes I have been pleasantly surprised: such as when the Moroccan-owned riad where we stay upgraded us to the best suite of rooms for free,
Queer Tangier: What You Didn’t Know About Morocco’s Lgbtq+ Phase
By Lino DiNallo
Gay Tangier was considered very liberal (at the time)
Before sailors flocked to the sleazy leather bars of 1970s San Francisco. Before buxom bears rolled around in the sandy surf of Sitges like a Belinda Carlisle video. And good before São Paulo broke records for hosting the largest pride parade, the world’s first gay-cation destination was born in Tangier. While Morocco’s politics clearly took a hard right turn since the 1950s, the gays left their mark. Today, the nation remains one of our most popular destinations, and our new Tangier to Marrakech tour kicks off where it all began.
In fact, Tangier was once more liberal than America
Between the late 40s and early 50s, when Tangier was an international zone with limited rule, the gay literati (glitterati?!) began flocking to the port city. Think William S Burroughs, Tennessee Williams, Allen Ginsberg, Jean Genet, and Truman Capote (author of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the subject of Feud Season 2: Capote vs. The Swans). It was a haven for fans of sex, drugs, and generalized debauchery.
Their days were spent at the Grand Café d At the foot of the Atlas Mountains lies Morocco’s most famous city, Marrakech, best known for its vibrant, bustling square and market called Jemaa el-Fnaa. Day and evening, this is where you’ll find desert musicians, snake charmers, storytellers, acrobats and more ready to entertain and earnings from tourists passing by, as good as countless meal stalls and artisans selling local crafts. Escape the hustle and bustle and step inside the tranquil Menara Gardens, complete with a 19th-century palace, reflecting pool and olive groves backdropped by the Atlas Mountains on the horizon. Must-see sights also include the Koutoubia Mosque, the largest mosque in Marrakech, and the Bahia Palace, an architectural masterpiece. Located in the northeastern part of the country, Fez is often considered the cultural capital since it has the best maintained traditions and old-world charm. The center of it all is the Fes El Bali, the walled medina, with its narrow, pedestrian streets that home artisan workshops, mosques and an 11th-century tannery still using ancient methods of tanning and dying leathe
LGBTQ+ Travel Guide to Morocco
Interesting Cities to Visit in Morocco
MARRAKECH
FEZ