Layla J. - Ability or Social Status

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 During our time in Morocco, I briefly talked with others in the program about the presence of the LGBTQIA+ community in the country, and how the community is persecuted both through Moroccan law and social standards. Under Article 489 of Morocco’s Penal Code, sexual relations between same-sex individuals is illegal and individuals in violation of this can/will be tried in court. Though it is rooted in the religion and social standards associated with Islam, the law extends to affect the social status of LGBTQIA+ individuals in Morocco in their treatment by others and the degree to which they are open or not open with their sexuality. 


With this in mind, there are several cases of individuals hiding their sexuality to an extent to avoid persecution. However, there are some cases where individuals were outed or their sexuality was discovered by others, often leading to the Moroccan government sending them to court or others harassing, and, in some cases, beating them violently (Benlarabi 2020). With this in mind, it begs the question of whether the LGBTQIA+ identity has a place within Morocco’s social structure, or whether it will stay unspoken for the time being. This topic also begs the question of whether the Moroccan government will ever shift to become more inclusive of other identities to try and encourage more tourism from Western countries, or whether the overall shift to right-wing political party success (particularly in several Western European countries and the United States) will cause the government to keep their stance and criminalization of same-sex relations. 


Benlarabi, Anima. “The Case of Violence against LGBT in Morocco.” IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science, June 2020, www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jhss/papers/Vol.%2025%20Issue6/Series-7/A2506070111.pdf. 

Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. “Morocco: Situation of Sexual Minorities, Including Treatment by the Authorities and Society; the Application of Article 489 of the Penal Code and Cases with Convictions for Homosexuality; State Protection and Support Services (2010-October 2013) [MAR104621.FE].” European Country of Origin Information Network, 28 Oct. 2013, www.ecoi.net/en/document/1019688.html. 

Comments

  1. Christina CorinMay 29, 2025 at 5:55 AM

    It is interesting what you say about tourism, and will it force them to change their laws in order to attract a wider audience. OR will they take, in their eyes, the “quality over quantity” approach and maintain their laws in order to double down on their homophobia. If I had to hypothesize, I think they will amend laws to be more recognizable of LGBTQIA+ individuals.

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