Blog 3: Sexual Orientation or Gender Roles

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 Views on sexual orientation differ significantly between Morocco and the US due to contrasting cultural value, religious influences, legal systems, and social attitudes. According to the American Psychological Association, sexual orientation is defined by patterns of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions to men, women, or both as well as a sense of identity in terms of that attraction. 

In the US, everyone's individual attitude toward people belonging to the LGBTQ+ community differs because not everyone has the same beliefs or culture. The US places an emphasis on individual rights, equality, and inclusion which has led to the acceptance of these identities over time, and some political and cultural movements have helped support this movement toward acceptance compared to countries with stricter traditional or authoritarian systems (Sweigart et al., 2024). This acceptance however is relative to the US overall not regions such as the Southern US. While there are many Christians who are not accepting of the LGBTQ+ community, there are just as many who are. Individuals raised in the Southern US tend to have strict religious upbringings and it has been found that majority of these individuals use the values they were taught as children to view the world. Many of these conservative religious traditions promote heterosexual and traditional gender/sexual norms which sometimes leads them to rejects or discourage LGBTQ+ relationships (Piper et al., 2022). 

Morocco is a little different. In the days we have traveled through Morocco, I have noticed that Islam influences everything in their lives - including the government, and while that makes for a more united community and easier for people to connect with each other, it is also more difficult to accept things that are not accepted by that religion. In more mainstream Islamic interpretations and Muslim communities, any person belonging to the LGBTQ+ community is viewed negatively. This different sexual orientation creates an identify conflict which means that an individual may fear rejection from family, religious community, or society because of the differences in their orientation and religious beliefs (Jaspal 2016). 

While Morocco is an Islamic country, like in the US, there are individuals who may personally have no ill will toward those of the LGBTQ+ community. Their interpretation of Islam may not follow the interpretation of Islams in the middle east or those found in the US. These individuals are led into hiding their identity because of the overall societal view compared to those in the US where in majority of places no one takes a particular interest (expressing negatively) in what others outside of their close circle is doing. 




Sources:

Sweigart, M. M., Galván‐Hernández, D., Tabea Hässler, Hegarty, P., Kite, M. E., Ofosu, E. K., Ünsal, B. C., & Eisner, L. (2024). Understanding variations in LGBTIQ+ acceptance across space and time: The importance of norm perceptions and political dynamics. Journal of Social Issues. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12638 

Jaspal, R. (2016). Islam and Homosexuality. https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/39597/1/1314201_Jaspal.pdf

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