Blog 3: Sexual Orientation or Gender Roles

By

  While in Morocco, we have had several guides – most of them being men. One thing that I have noticed about the mannerisms of the majority of the men here is how affectionate they can be towards one another; meanwhile in America, this would be mistaken for homosexuality. While this is something that is completely normal to them, some societal issues could arise that are just not spoken about. In Morocco, it is highly illegal to be gay. Because men so freely display affection towards one another, those who are a part of LGBTQ will obviously feel pressure to hide their identity, but furthermore there may never be evolution of these laws. 


There were several moments where affection is displayed between those of the same gender. When touring the ENA school, I noticed that the men there will often walk hand in hand and the women will kiss each other on the head. I was curious about these displays of affection as this is relatively uncommon in America. While it is common for female friendships to show acts of affection in the United States, it is very uncommon for male friendships to be affectionate. I think a lot of this is due to the fact that men are concerned about being mistaken for homosexual rather than it just being a genuine male friendship. 


While the affectionate friendships in Morocco show genuine love and respect towards those who are your friends, issues could arise for those who secretly identify as homosexual. While arrests are rare, the sentence for homosexuality in Morocco is 3 years (2024). The strict laws can be very confusing since affectionate friendships are so normalized in Morocco (Mack, 2025). This almost contradictory set of norms could make it very difficult for those who identified as LGBTQ+. Obviously, the strict laws and norms would cause pressure to hide the identity of those a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Even more so, these laws have a very little chance of being updated. Since it is so common to display affection in Morocco between those of the same sex, those who do identify as homosexual almost have little to hide as their display of affection to their partner could be seen as a friendly encounter. With this idea in mind, there is probably a small chance of the laws evolving or being updated since most people have a way to get around them in the culture of Morocco. While this can be seen as good that it might be easier to hide their true identity, there is a small chance of change since no one feels restricted on how they act in public. 


Throughout my time in Morocco, I have noticed several cultural differences between Morocco and America. This one stood out to me because while in America you are not legally persecuted for homosexuality, it’s almost like there is more fear in displaying your affection. Whether that be because some people do not want to be perceived as homosexual or because America as a whole is more individualistic, I am not sure. It is important to note that while it is amazing that those in Morocco can freely show love for friends and family, this shouldn’t overshadow how they lack the legal freedom to be able to marry and love who they want. 



Morocco | Human Dignity Trust. (2024). Www.humandignitytrust.org. https://www.humandignitytrust.org/country-profile/morocco/. 



Mack, Catherine. (2025). Responsible tourism & culture in Morocco.  Responsible Travel. https://www.responsibletravel.com/holidays/morocco-cultural/travel-guide/responsible-tourism-on-morocco-cultural-holidays. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Who Am I? Think Again. Exploring Authentic Identities

By
Image
  This video is part of the  TED Talks  series.  TED  (Technology, Entertainment and Design) is a nonprofit devoted to disseminating "ideas worth spreading." I thought the idea of  creating authentic identity through failed imitation  was a great theme to begin the course as well as the blog. My hope is that you will step outside of the  status quo  and use your creative nature to complete the assignments and explore identity in a global context throughout this semester. What are your thoughts about Hetain Patel's presentation?
Read more

Motherhood & Morocco

By
Image
  Motherhood & Morocco All life comes from women. This is a fact we all know and see the evidence of daily, yet it is also a fact we choose to ignore or employ only when it is of convenience to society. Women are the backbone, the lifeblood, the prana, and the chi of all life. As we endure heartbreak, trauma, and illness, we call out for our mothers. As men die on battlefields and in army hospitals, they yearn for a touch of their mother. Across cultures, the mother figure is a respected tenet of the community, and in Morocco’s Argan Cooperative, the motherhood experience is respected and supported.  Though the history of feminism in Morocco is varied and contains times of both celebration and tension, yet the importance of family has remained a central tenet.  At the Argan oil cooperative, women bring the fruit from their argan trees into the cooperative, weigh, process and eventually, sell them for cosmetics and food oils. In this system, women own their own trees a...
Read more

Sexual Orientation or Gender Roles - Markeila Howard

By
  During my time in Morocco, I had the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the identity of Moroccan women. A  perspective very different from my own. What struck me most was the complex and evolving role of women in Moroccan society as they navigate the balance between tradition and modern change. Moroccan women live in a society deeply rooted in Islamic traditions, yet one that is also undergoing significant transformation. According to the World Bank, Morocco has made substantial progress in gender equality, particularly in education and legal rights. Throughout the trip, several people mentioned that women now have more legal protections, especially in the area of divorce. In most of the places we visited, it was predominantly women who were hard at work—doing the tedious jobs like cleaning and sorting out bad fruit—while men handled tasks involving heavy equipment. These women challenged the stereotypes I previously held about what life is like for women in a tra...
Read more