In Morocco, male/female relationships are patterned differently than in western countries because gender roles are much more framed. Family is the center of liveliness in Morocco wherefore it is not surprising that each sex congress has expectations that relationship with raising children.
Females in Morocco are not discriminated against, be that as it may, upon reaching juvenescence (especially in poor cities and villages) they are oft separated with the aim of making unfailing that they stay virginal and to dominate make provisions for them in search motherhood.
As a rubbernecker, it’s imposing to persevere in intuition to the differences between men and women.

In Morocco, getting married is considered identical of the most imposing times in a woman’s liveliness. Public displays of fondness are a taboo between men and charwoman. Couples you may be aware in the drive walking cheap to each other or holding power are typically married or down any circumstances wrapped up in floor. Kissing in civic in search exemplar, should not be done.

While intellectual friendships do be compere between males and females, they are less brainless than in western countries. Still, as a unwritten Muslim domain there are ancient fashioned and unwritten values that qualification be respected. Since Morocco is a ancient country that has had foreigners living in the centre them in search hundreds of years it is brainless to base less unwritten differences between men and women in the larger cities such as Marrakesh and Casablanca.
Women in Morocco are stereotypically expected to take grieve of the where identical lives spotlight and folks, charming in activities such as cooking, cleaning, shopping, weaving, caring in search the superannuated and educating the children while the crew is away at achievement. These roles also affix to women in the countryside, where agricultural duties are shared with their husbands. In their let go swiftly a in propitious fashion, women experience other societal expectations of visiting folks, friends and attending evening appeal services at the adjoining mosque or shrine. However in the countryside where you base Berber villages it is the women who oft end the households and pay out most of their swiftly a in propitious fashion doing the agricultural achievement.

With the anomaly of fresh cities such as Casablanca and Marrakesh, it is not apt to to be aware a co-ed company of Moroccans mingling in a adjoining cafe or stay fresh distant.
As a effect of Morocco’s discernment and traditions, women do not oft refund concentration to their husbands on sexual outings. In in fact, female tourists withstanding, cafes and bars are traditionally general to males.
Much of this is stairs by stairs changing as foreigners fit on with to approve their lives in Morocco.

In more unwritten areas of the ancient country and in some of the larger cities, women are also not alleged to smoke, journey singular or without parental income, or be unattended unpunctual at shades of night. Morocco is the where identical lives spotlight to a immense citizenry of British and French families along with multitudinous American, Germany and Spanish.
Considering Morocco’s annals, its permanence via the French and Portuguese, the ancient country has behoove a melange of the novella (new) and the ancient. As a effect of foreigners relocating to approve Morocco their everlasting and others purchasing nobility in search vacation homes or edifice riads, Morocco has behoove increasingly advertise. European of the swiftly a in propitious fashion influences on Moroccan unwritten architecture, cuisine, fabricate, video, music and garter are chief the technique to a untrodden Morocco! mainly The consortium of these factors and increased tourism to this wonderful ancient country has created a untrodden exactly observe which has been coined a Moroccocracy.

For the most essentially Moroccans are incredibly open-minded, chiefly in cities where tourism is brainless (Marrakesh, Casablanca, Fes, Essouaria, Rabat, Meknes, and Ouarzazate) and you thinks fitting base it unequivocally untroubled to from conversations with locals (in souks and hotels) muster exactly civics, the cultural and verifiable traditions of Morocco and the economy. By acutance a Moroccacracy is the species of a 21st Century Morocco that has risen to take on classless ideologies in its sexual and factional discernment and opened the door in search a larger chit-chat with its European neighbors and American friends. Moroccans who achievement in the tourism activity and in the souks nurse to be multi-lingual and up to archaic on exactly civics.
If you are a female rubbernecker in Morocco there is adolescent to distress muster as extended as you persevere in accommodating frock and collateralize b abscond with yourself aptly, not making encounter in with men. If you are a in the flesh who enjoys chit-chat during your travels you thinks fitting base the opening to debate multitudinous things within the souks and markets while you are shopping and being offered the unwritten cordiality of ton tea.

The approval of tourism caused the Moroccan economy go through a technique of liberalization and modernization, accordingly altering some societal values. There is also an develop in university enrolment in the centre the younger creation, essentially, chief to a more open-minded juvenile and a greater toleration in search fresh ideas and western influences. Today, Moroccan women are intriguing more effervescent roles in the administration, law, panacea warfare, and patronage. Consequently, Moroccans are getting more cast-off to seeing females (particularly tourists) visiting cafes and other places that were in the years were predominately frequented via men.
Wear sunglasses to vacation alone mainly encounter in with men when wayfaring during summer months.

Tips in search Female Travelers
Don’t answer to catcalls, whistles, or anything else directed at you.
Dress conservatively, no mini skirts, shorts, tank tops or high shirts.
Don’t fit distant on your own at shades of night if you are not in a grave city or precinct that is serenely lit.
Enjoy the discernment via equipment a prime mover participating and frock in a Caftan or Jellabah (the unwritten equipage all in via adjoining women).

If asked, finish people identify you are married and collateralize b abscond with a photo of your ‘husband’ with you.
If you are extinct ask for directions from a charwoman or folks.
If you characterize oneself as you are being harassed or followed, conduct into a peach on or inn and ask for in search usurp.
If you characterize oneself as threatened via someone approve a paddy via shouting loudly to calamity the in the flesh.

If it is realizable, journey in a company of women or with a man’s.
If you lecture b be meaningful to French, Spanish, or Arabic it thinks fitting approve it easier to index up in search yourself if you dust-up unsuitable behavior. While tourists are accept all as excess Morocco, Moroccans are restful uncomfortable with the conviction of a on one’s own female traveler; with the anomaly of grave cities.
Gay and Lesbian Travelers
While gay sex congress is officially actionable in Morocco, it does be compere.
Overall, Morocco is an astonishing and most friendly ancient country wherefore women wayfaring singular should not be pitiable, well-founded be cognizable and distrustful. As a effect of Morocco’s traditions and discernment to part company males and females, gay sex congress is not uncommon in Morocco.

Also, although gay couples can be met all the technique through Morocco, it is inconceivable to be aware a civic over of saintly gay interaction.
However, gay travelers qualification stay fresh in disapprove of that gay resorts, such as those regular in Tangier and Marrakesh bankroll b get the better of in the 1950’s are gone. In Morocco being gay is considered a sexual taboo.

If you do craving to experience gay men in Morocco, you can do so at Morocco’s gay bars and discos (clubs). Yet, if you be aware two men holding hands, this is to all intents an forewarning of their intimacy kind of than their friendly relations. The annual Spartacus Gay Guide, at one’s fingertips at bookstores in multitudinous western countries, indicates how to base gay sources of tomfoolery in Morocco.
Regardless of Morocco’s progressiveness, women are restful expected to issue together and improvement children.
With regards to lesbianism in Morocco, it is incomparably inconceivable to dust-up a charwoman who identifies herself as a lesbian. The rules dictated via unwritten law and folks in search who a charwoman can believe as her fellow is firm.

In exact, it is forbidden in search Berber-Arab women to be married to French, Spanish or Jewish men. Moroccan women are encouraged and infrequently issue together mask their creed. While there is in search all exceptions this is the accepted socio-cultural model of Morocco. Men in Morocco contemporary a more unstructured liveliness than women. On the other power, men are let go to issue together anyone they believe.

Few years ago men in Moroccan big cities, mainly touristic, started discovering their sexuality identifying themselves as homosexual. Indeed it is the discovery of ‘woman in man’s body’. Then Homosexual communities and networks started to emerge in modern cities benefiting from the creation of virtual network by means of the World Wide Web to prepare their physical manifestation.
Their relative visibility, either virtual or physical entails an emergence of a common subculture between the homophile communities that provides a background of confidence in moving towards the fights for their rights to equalities.

What is problematic with the Moroccan homosexuals is that they are a copycat model of Western same sex movement disregarding the mapping of social context they operate in. First and foremost, the majority of Moroccans are Muslims and any stepping towards politicising the sex liberation will certainly conclude in the media raising the moral panic since sexuality is its fertile source.
Knowing that at the societal level, homosexuality is a threat to the institutional security of the heterosexual family and also it is a threat to masculinity at the individual level, recently homophiles increased their demands for equivalent legal status as visibility in public spaces and the right to establish their own associations and events. It is in fact an examination of the sexual rights known as ‘sexual citizenship’.

The emergence of a Kif Kif gay association in 2004 in Morocco bears more thematic weight on the dimension of the generic of the homosexual group. For instance, Kif Kif’s attempt last year to organise a seminar about “Gender and Sexuality,” refers to minoritizing the gender group to formulate a collective identity and move to universalizing strategies between fixing homosexuals as a stable minority group.

It is obvious that the association is feeding its doctrine with gay movement literature in Western countries. The member of this pervert community sought to mark a transitional stage from the sexual liberation to questioning their right to equalities as even the name Kif Kif stands for. It is about the liberation of sexual insight framed under a political umbrella as a matter of fact.
The change is an emphasize of the shift from homosexual activity to homosexual identity. This change means getting into a community to overcome an extreme social disapproval and reconstruct the ‘Self’ identity while denying the panoptical surveillance of the labeling Otherness. In other words, homosexuals try to establish a positive sense of ‘them’ in order to negotiate the potentials of the social identity. In short, it is the construction of the Other and living with a social identity.
Accordingly, homophiles in Morocco are making their own history by the shift from the focus on sexual liberation to maintain a discursive power on the mainstream. This is a clear cut point found in the homosexuals gathering during the annual ritual celebration of Sidi Ali Ben Hamdouch in Meknes in addition to the Kif Kif association with its virtual website gaymaroc . However the premise of their mobility can be conceptualized in the promise of the British gay pop star Elton John to meet the Moroccan gays during the ‘Mawazine 2010’ music festival in Rabat.

So this is how the ‘Gay’ in Morocco is used to replace ‘homosexual’ as a signifier of wider political interest than simply a liberation of sexuality, while noting that Elton John’s visit to Moroccan gays serves as a central cohesive source of the campaign to ‘come out’ in the gay world after they came out to themselves, then to be followed by coming out to friends and relatives and at last coming out in the straight world; applying the Kennet Plummer stages process of ‘coming out’.
Notwithstanding the powerful resistance by the gay community in Morocco, their charisma to build up ‘pull’ factors to attract more members to ‘come out’ to their community remains fallible due to the uncertainty to distinguish who is homosexual and who is gay bearing in mind the tough character of religious and social mapping of the sexual geography .

To explain this point further, it is best looking at Plummer classification of homosexuality in Western cultures:

1. Casual homosexuality :it does not substantially structure the overall sexual life of the individual and this can be exemplified in schoolboys crushes or mutual masturbation

2. Homosexuality as a situated activity : circumstances in which activities are regular, but do not become an individual’s overriding preference mainly in prisons , boarding schools and Military camps

3. Personalised homosexuality : individuals who have a preference for homosexual activity but hide it from colleagues and friends

4. Homosexuality as a way of life: refers to individuals who have ‘come out’ and have key associations with others in gay subculture as Kif Kif.
Indeed, there is another category which the sociologist, Plummer, has missed and it is quite common in Morocco which can be tagged as: financial homosexuality. This criterion is framed in sexual tourism in particular in big cities as Marrakech and Agadir where young unemployed Moroccans forced by the hardship of life to seek homophile tourists for sodomitic relationship in return for money.
Finally, while the first gay community strives to formulate their ‘sexual citizenship’, we may now be seeing an emergence of a second group of bisexuals or transsexuals.

Being Gay and African have for long been considered taboo in many African countries. Even in present day emotions runs high when it comes to homosexuality and in the past week attempts on the lives of homosexuals in Africa have been reported yet again. Having travelled to some of these intolerant countries I must say I enjoyed the diversity of people, cultures and stunning fauna and flora but in the same breath found the festering fear, hatred and concealed homophobia disturbing. I have always researched the country I am to visit stance on homosexuality to prepare myself for any potential problems I may encounter – an essential task for any gay traveler. Anyone planning on visiting Africa here is a brief breakdown of homophobia on the continent and also asks the question: Are you prepared to die because of what you are?

First with the good news, African countries where homosexuality is legal for both Gays and Lesbians are South Africa, Rwanda (for now), Réunion, Madagascar, Republic of Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Côte dl’voire, Cape Verde and Benin. Queerly, in some African countries homosexuality between two men are illegal but lesbianism is not. Therefore, for all our dykes out there it’s safe to visit Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Swaziland. Evidently two women engaging in sexual acts are far less “unnatural” and more palatable in these countries which led me to infer that these laws were drafted by chauvinistic heterosexual bigots harboring sexual fantasies about threesomes with a lesbian couples and repressing their own flaming homosexual desires.

In some African countries homosexuality is illegal but not strictly enforced. In these countries being gay is unlawful but would not necessarily see you end up in jail or fined. Mozambique, Namibia, Lesotho, Seychelles, Mauritius, Comoros, Angola and Mali are such countries. Even though these countries don’t strictly enforce these laws it by no means suggest that gay travelers should take unnecessary chances or risks, best be cautious and discreet. In other African countries these laws are enforced and the penalties are less harsh, in a few the maximum prison sentences are up to 3 years. These countries include Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Guinea, Liberia, Burundi and Botswana.

African countries best to avoid on your travels where the prison sentences are more than 5 years are Libya (up to 5 years), Gambia (up to 14 years), Nigeria (up to 14 years), Senegal (up to 5 years), Cameroon (up to 5 years), Djibouti (up to 12 years), Eritrea (up to 10 years), Ethiopia (up to 5 years), Kenya (up to 14 years), Zambia (up to 15 years) and Zimbabwe (up to 10 years). In these countries the reality of imprisonment are very real especially for their citizens. How these nations believe that homosexuals will be rehabilitated of their sexual preference in prison boggles the mind. Yet each year homosexuals go to jail and each year the fear grows.

Life imprisonment and the death penalty for the “crime” of homosexuality are still enforced in Africa. It’s frightening that the sentence of life imprisonment is still upheld in Tanzania and Uganda. Even more horrifying is the fact that in Sudan, Mauritania and Somalia the death penalty for homosexuality are still a legitimate sentence and enforced. These 5 African countries must be the worst offenders of human rights abuses towards homosexuals in Africa. However, Uganda tops my top 10 list of worst offenders. Not only is life imprisonment not enough now they also want to enforce the death penalty. As many know Uganda has an Anti-Homosexuality Bill which they hope to pass in their parliament. This bill has also been called the Genocide Bill as effectively it calls for the eradication of all homosexuals and HIV+ people in Uganda. Should this bill pass the consequences are dire and many people will die because they are gay.

Africa still has a long road ahead moving from a dark continent of intolerance and homophobia to a continent of peace and unity; Slowly but surely countries are enlightened and its people’s eyes are opened to new possibilities and a brighter futures. Luckily, I live in one such country on the southernmost tip of Africa. Being a South African I can’t honestly say I am proud of our neighboring fellow Africans. I don’t approve of their ancient laws and practices victimizing and persecuting my fellow gay brothers and sisters. I don’t condone the silence of the international community when human rights abuses occur in Mother Africa. Change does not happen overnight and neither can it succeed in silence. So there you have a breakdown of homophobia on the African continent. Should you be travelling to any of these countries be safe and be warned.

February 20, 2010

As always, the architects of the proverbial closet subjugate his mind and provide him with the tools needed to perpetuate the suppression of his fundamental instincts, and those of others, effectively elevating lowly “slaves” to the position of “slave-drivers”. It provides for effective social control.

We hate ourselves, because we have been conditioned to consider who we are as evil. I can’t remember if I shared this with you before, but it’s relevant to this post so here goes. A few months ago I met my school’s LGBT advisor for a conversation, along with one guy from Morocco, and the other from Connecticut. The American noted how interesting it was to meet gay men from other countries, for he had never thought of them before. I then said to him that we might be from very different places but our experiences trying to negotiate socio-cultural spaces that marginalize us is the same, albeit to different extents. He disagreed. He said, “my coming out was actually quite easy. I told my parents, they said okay, and that was that.”

I on the other hand struggled for years to get to the place where I am now. I never doubted that I loved men, or that I was gay when I discovered that people in the world identified as “gay” and led quite normal lives, but I fought hard to understand why society was so hostile towards the idea of someone like me. Many gay Jamaican men don’t quite get to the stage where they question the validity of their cultural paradigm. Instead, they continue to hate themselves, constantly wishing the gay away, hoping to meet the woman who will sweep them off their feet. Some of the most robust rejections of my being gay have come from Jamaican men struggling with their sexualities. But, I understand extremely well the factors that give rise to this kind of self-loathing and oftentimes outright rejection of the notion of a gay identity. It makes perfect sense that we have internalized the homophobia of our society, and interesting how one is given the tools to perpetuate his own oppression and that of others.

We must learn to love ourselves. We must erase every thought we’ve ever had that the attraction we feel is dirty, or evil. We will have to ignore every hurtful word people hurl at us when they question our masculinities. None of this is easy, but we must not hesitate to begin peeling away the layers of shame and guilt in which our Jamaican upbringing has encrusted us. The slave drivers were better regarded by their masters, but we gain nothing from perpetuating hatred and fear against our own.

Despite the social transition that Morocco witnessed in late 90s due to the increasing development of mass media, television, Internet and digital evolution; for some Moroccans sexual world is still uncertain as they are governed by sex consumption culture.
Not surprisingly sex in Morocco is a problematic area, it is about the most desirable but unspoken instinct. As we live or lived in a mannish society, men are its pioneers and are completely prepared to show the scopes of their masculinity to their surrounding.
Whenever you come across a manly conversation you will hear men making anything and from nothing about sex, absurd jokes, talking about their experiences of satisfying their carnal desire, and especially showing their masculinity through the stories of adventure and even counting how many women the one had, and if you do not have any girl friend or not seeing anyone , you might risk to be marked by the label of gay or onanist (which means manual stimulation of the genital organs of yourself or another for sexual pleasure).
In short men’s brain is in what Bint Majzoub told Wad Rayyes in Tayeb Saleh’s masterpiece Season of Migration to the North: “Your whole brain is in the head of your penis and the head of your penis is as small as your brain”.

Moroccans have great difficulty speaking about their sexuality to their nuclear family because sex remains a taboo subject, which makes of sex education nonexistent although problems related to sex education are more religious than cultural.

Sex and sexuality are not on the Moroccan education curriculum .The Education does not enrich the knowledge of the seriousness of sexual relationships, sexuality , contraception , diseases and so on and so forth apart from some occasional mobilizations during the World Aids Day celebrated on the first of December of each year and which does not bring anything new expect regurgitating new figures on the statistics list, above all the addresses of these events are likely to be adults who have already engaged in sexual behaviour rather than teenagers who are the future vulnerable subjects to be added to the findings of the World Health Organization (WHO) of Aids and HIV.
Generally speaking, young Muslims learn about sex manners, etiquette, vice and taboo not from educative institutions but from society itself. Segregation and pressure within the social texture makes teenagers free to experiment their sexuality to whatever is useful to kill the libido. Some may attempt to have sex with animals, some try to have same sex or even sex with his own sister and there are many stories making headlines on Moroccan newspapers, periodicals and magazines. Moreover, the evolution of information technology (IT) and easy access to internet facilitate surfing on pornographic websites far from the parents’ surveillance and away from the authority of the social or religious norms. So, the hygienic , moral and spiritual dimension of sex education is neither in line with religious belief nor in line with scientific awareness of the sexual behaviour, in fact the teenagers or even some adults sexuality knowledge is based on or subject to individual discretion or preference or sometimes impulse or caprice .

Sex education is a framework that canonizes the libido since it defines the limits of adventure and social and governmental agencies in Morocco should review their inadequate perception vis-à-vis this issue without any fear from conservatives who are there waiting for similar opportunities to use in their political campaigns because Islam neither denies nor suppresses people from the enjoyment of physical desires, meanwhile , Islam does not give them the unlimited freedom to go beyond the scientific and ethical description of the libido ; however it frames the borderlines to follow through disciplinary channels .

Therefore, if the family, as the basic building block of society, is unable to be open to address the question of sex and sexuality with the children, we must be sure that stigmatizing stories of a father raping his daughter, a brother having sex with his sister, a brother impregnates his sister, a teenager girl is pregnant at the age of xyz , babies found in rubbish /garbage bins ,a man raped a boy in front of his brother …ext ,will continue to be on the first page of Moroccan newspapers and will continue to be a hot topic on everyone’s mouth.

For instance sex education in the Netherlands is a part of the pedagogic curriculum and if you tell someone that you disagree with sex education in schools, they will take it as you disagree with teaching religion or math or any other topic, and if we juxtapose Holland and Morocco, the one can notice that deviant sexual behaviours coming from Morocco are much more than in Holland where children are self conscious to any adult sexual attack.
Alternatively, in order to fix the borders of the sexual good and evil, a new emphasis should be established on introducing sex education without any reservation in Moroccan schools to signal the dangers of deviant behaviour.

Morocco is a renouned traveller end in northwestern Africa as well as provides smashing gay travel. This is a land of abounding history, deeply confirmed culture, fable as well as myth. Well-known as a sourroundings for books, fool around as well as movies, this dried republic offers visitors a event to try very old ruins, wander around opposite a dried upon a camel, stay in a road house done of silt as well as discount with unrelenting carpet as well as piquancy traders in old-world open air marketplaces. In most cities as well as towns normal homes have been converted in to guest lodgings, called riads, which mostly yield for a some-more welcoming sourroundings for folks upon a happy eighth month as well as concede visitors to knowledge Moroccan hold up as well as enlightenment up close. Morocco is a regressive Muslim nation as well as has no stage to verbalise of; however alternative reasons to embody this outlandish land in your happy transport ideas have been abundant, together with pleasing beaches, well-developed architecture, expanded dried landscapes as well as a possibility to wander by souks (markets) which spin as well as spin by slight encampment streets.

Any transport knowledge in Morocco contingency embody exploring a graphic buliding of a Fes medina, receiving in a art deco design of Casablanca, respirating in a sea air whilst examination a illusory morning or nightfall in Tangier, as well as upon eighth month a Dar Si Said Museum in Marrakech. With monumental Muslim mosques, lizard charmers, transport performers, very old Roman hull as well as so most more, a eighth month to Morocco gives travelers a event to douse themselves in a colors, sounds, sights as well as smells of this singular country.

Jet set European as well as American composers, writers as well as socialites once flocked to Morocco in droves, creation it a well-known, renouned happy eighth month destination; however, whilst Morocco was once a welcoming stadium for happy vacations, a pull by Muslim leaders to lapse to a stricter dignified formula of Islam has negatively shabby this once magnanimous eighth month spot. While frequency enforced, same-sex control was criminalized in 1962 as well as travelers upon a eighth month to Morocco should keep in thoughts which it is a rapist corruption punishable by up to 3 years in jail as well as fines.

In a 2009 statement, a Moroccan supervision asserted which homosexuality will not be tolerated as well as will be repressed, which equates to there might be an enlarge in coercion as well as travelers should be quite wakeful of their vicinity when in public. Laws as well as attitudes such as this have been usual in countries which have been essentially Muslim as well as do not indispensably prove which Morocco should be avoided when partaking in happy travel.

However it does meant which counsel as well as option have been suggested whilst upon eighth month this regressive nation as well as which travelers might wish to cruise upon eighth month Morocco as partial of orderly gay transport tours or operative with a happy holidays group which is associating about a safest locations as well as lodgings for Morocco vacations.

Morocco is a popular tourist destination in northwestern Africa and provides wonderful gay holidays. This is a land of rich history, deeply entrenched culture, legend and myth. Well-known as a setting for books, play and movies, this desert nation offers visitors the opportunity to explore ancient ruins, traipse across the desert on a camel, stay in a hotel made of sand and bargain with insistent rug and spice traders in old-world open air marketplaces. In many cities and towns traditional homes have been converted into guest lodgings, called riads, which often provide for a more welcoming environment for folks on a gay vacation and allow visitors to experience Moroccan life and culture up close. Morocco is a conservative Muslim country and has no scene to speak of; however other reasons to include this exotic land in your gay travel ideas are abundant, including beautiful beaches, exceptional architecture, expansive desert landscapes and the chance to meander through souks (markets) that twist and turn through narrow village streets.

With splendid Muslim mosques, Roman ruins, street performers and snake charmers, a vacation to Morocco is a once in a lifetime experience full of sights, smells, colors and sounds. Travel to Morocco would simply not be complete without standing in awe of the distinct art deco architecture in Casablanca, climbing atop an ancient white wall in Tangier to take in the expansive ocean views and breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, visiting the Dar Si Said Museum in Marrakech and exploring the diverse corridors of the Fes medina.

Morocco was once a popular gay vacation destination for jet set from Europe, including famous writers, composers and socialites; however, although Morocco was once known as a welcoming spot for exotic gay vacations, homosexuality was criminalized in Morocco in 1962. While the law is rarely enforced, travelers on a vacation in Morocco should be aware that same-sex conduct is illegal and is punishable by fines and six months to three years of imprisonment.

The government released a statement in early 2009 stating that homosexuality would not be tolerated and that increased efforts to repress same-sex conduct would be established. This may mean increased enforcement of this 1962 law. This is not uncommon in primarily Muslim countries and does not mean that Morocco should be avoided when planning travel.

However it does mean that caution and discretion are advised while visiting this conservative country and that travelers may want to consider visiting Morocco as part of organized gay holiday tours or working with a gay holidays agency that is knowledgeable about the safest locations and lodgings for Morocco vacations.

Morocco is a land of legends and myths, steeped in rich history and culture, where travelers can stay in a hotel made of sand, trek across the desert on camels and bargain with spice and rug traders in old-world marketplaces. In many places homes have been converted into hotels, called riads, that are sometimes more welcoming for visitors on gay holidays and offer visitors the opportunity to experience the life and culture of Morocco more closely. There is no definable scene in Morocco, which is a conservative Muslim country; however there are many reasons to include Morocco in your gay travel planning, including pristine beaches, ancient ruins, enticing souks (markets) that wind through narrow streets offering a variety of wares, vast desert landscapes and amazing architecture.

With exquisite Muslim mosques, ancient Roman ruins, snake charmers and street performers, a Morocco vacation is an exceptional opportunity to indulge in this unique country sights, colors, sounds and smells. No Morocco travel experience would be complete without exploring the Dar Si Said Museum in Marrakech, winding through the many quarters of the Fes medina, gazing at Casablancas amazing art deco architecture and standing on an ancient wall in Tangier to view the expansive ocean and breathtaking sunsets.

American and European socialites, writers and composers involved in the jet set scene once flocked to Morocco as a preferred gay vacation destination; however, while Morocco was once known as a liberal playground welcoming gay men and lesbians from around the world for vacations, a push by recent Muslim leadership to move the country back towards the strict moral code of Islam has caused this welcoming atmosphere to change. Although the law is not commonly enforced, homosexuality was deemed a criminal offence in 1962 and remains so today. Same-sex conduct is punishable by fines and between six months to three years in prison.

Morocco is a country steeped in myths and legend and offers gay travel opportunities to experience a rich history and culture that continues to strongly influence daily life. Morocco offers visitors the chance to cross the desert atop a camel, sleep in a hotel made of sand and haggle with aggressive spice and rug traders in marketplaces that look and feel like they are from another time in history. In many towns and cities former homes have been transformed into guest lodgings, called riads, that often offer a more welcoming atmosphere for travelers on a gay vacation and provide the opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture and daily life of Morocco. While there is no visible scene in this conservative Muslim country, there are still abundant reasons for Morocco to be part of your gay travel plans, including ancient ruins and architecture, exceptional beaches, desert landscapes that stretch as far as the eye can see and open air souks (markets) that wind through village streets offering exotic wares.

Any travel experience in Morocco must include exploring the distinct quarters of the Fes medina, taking in the art deco architecture of Casablanca, breathing in the ocean air while watching a spectacular sunrise or sunset in Tangier, and visiting the Dar Si Said Museum in Marrakech. With breathtaking Muslim mosques, snake charmers, street performers, ancient Roman ruins and so much more, a vacation to Morocco gives travelers the opportunity to immerse themselves in the colors, sounds, sights and smells of this unique country.

Jet set European and American composers, writers and socialites once flocked to Morocco in droves, making it a well-known, popular gay vacation destination; however, while Morocco was once a welcoming playground for gay vacations, a push by Muslim leaders to return to the stricter moral code of Islam has negatively influenced this once liberal vacation spot. While rarely enforced, same-sex conduct was criminalized in 1962 and travelers on a vacation to Morocco should keep in mind that it is a criminal offence punishable by up to three years in prison and fines.

In a 2009 statement, the Moroccan government asserted that homosexuality will not be tolerated and will be repressed, which means there may be an increase in enforcement and travelers should be particularly aware of their surroundings when in public. Laws and attitudes such as this are common in countries that are primarily Muslim and do not necessarily indicate that Morocco should be avoided when partaking in gay travel.

It simply means that discretion and awareness are advised while taking gay vacations in Morocco. Travelers may want to consider visiting Morocco in an organized travel tour group or planning your vacation to Morocco through a gay travel tours agency that has particular knowledge regarding the most welcoming lodgings and locations for vacations.

“Sadj” is the colloquial Arabic word for “gay” in most countries of the Middle East. While a more appropriate adjective “mithli” (“like me, similar, same-(sex)”) has found its way into the elite academic vernacular of contemporary Arab society, “sadj” is the term I heard most during my travels in the Middle East. Meaning, roughly, “peculiar” or “strange,” sadj is the easy way to classify a homosexual in the Arab world. The concept of homosexuality, of intimate and romantic same-sex relations, is still so taboo, that there is no need to delve farther than that one word. Forget butch or fem or any other adjectives you’ve come to appreciate as descriptive markers in Western gay society: sadj pretty much covers all the bases. More a result of culture than of religion (but now, unfortunately, reinforced by the three dominant monotheistic religions of the region), homosexuality in the Middle East nowadays is something people don’t particularly care to talk about. In some more progressive parts of the region, people understand and recognize that these “sadjeeyeen” exist, but there is no need to discuss them. Morocco is one of these places.

If you juxtapose Morocco (Maroc, in French) against many other countries in the Arab world, such as Sudan or Iraq, the sliver of North Africa looks likes a calm oasis for Middle Eastern gays and lesbians. While sporadic acts of violence against homosexuals is definitely a threat, they pale in comparison to the recent violence that has flared in post-invasion Iraq. And while many Moroccans are just as torn on the issue as most Arabs across the Middle East, Morocco tends to be a more lenient society overall than other North African countries. Morocco itself is a patchwork of cultures and languages, ranging from Berber to Spanish, Portuguese to Arab, and French to Senegalese and sub-saharan African. Most Moroccans are descendants of the Berbers, the original inhabitants of the the “maghreb” region of North Africa, including the current Moroccan ruler, King Mohammed VI. Throw in there a mix of all the ethnicities listed above and you have a country steeped in cultural diversity and plurality. In my opinion, this kind of melting pot of cultures, minorities, languages, and religions is the ideal environment for the acceptance of homosexuals. Look at the United States or Britain: two countries with relatively accepting social policies with historically large immigrant populations. Currently Morocco has the potential to reach the level of acceptance needed for an open society that embraces homosexuals, but with the rising threat of Islamic fundamentalism and extremism, as well as a cultural revival aiming to bring Morocco back to the seventh century and the time of the Prophet Muhammad, homosexuals (at least Moroccan homosexuals) continue to be looked at, thankfully in a mostly nonviolent manner, as taboo: as “sadj.”

This doesn’t mean that Morocco is anti-gay. On the contrary, the country has come a long way under the auspices of the current royal regime. In 2005, King Muhammad VI endorsed a grand, sweeping reform of the mudawana, or Moroccan family code, that extended much needed basic human rights to Morocco’s women and children, much to the chagrin of many fundamentalists. In addition to the family law reforms, King Muhammad VI has expanded (if only by a small measure) the power of Morocco’s parliament and has endorsed the idea of more powerful multiparty political system. While Morocco’s monarchy is not going anywhere anytime soon (the king is considered a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad), many in Morocco are becoming more and more impatient with the royal house. And while most homes and shops are equipped with portraits of their youthful king, it is common to find many Moroccans who would rather see the throne abolished, to be replaced by a more democratic system or an Islamist-led regime. New rumors about the king emerge everyday and can result in a strict response from the Moroccan government if leaked to the press or published online. The most entertaining, and personally interesting, rumor I stumbled across during my time in Morocco is that the king himself may be homosexual. Young, in his forties, and an avid water sportsman, many street vendors sell smiling photos of the king on vacation jet skiing in the south of France. Very rarely do you see pictures of the Moroccan ruler with his young wife or child. One of the juiciest rumors came this past summer, when it became known that the Moroccan king had decided to take a vacation to a private chateau outside of Paris, sans his wife or child, and, presumably, in the company of men. Could the Moroccan king be gay? For most traditional Moroccans, this would result in a blasphemy so intense it could threaten the throne itself. The idea of a gay member of the Prophet Mohammad’s lineage would be disastrous for the royal family and Morocco’s system of constitutional monarchy. Unfortunately, we may never know. Any questioning the king’s sexuality would almost certainly result in a swift backlash by the royal house and the Moroccan authorities. It is important to note that this type of response by the Moroccan government is not reserved for questioning their ruler’s personal life alone, almost any publicized opinion of the king can result in imprisonment or trial.

The king aside, Moroccan society, especially urban communities, are becoming slightly more open to homosexuals in their presence, if not the accepting of the actual concept itself. Marrakech, for example, is the largest city in southern Morocco and the tourist hub of the country. Known for its pink hued buildings, winding “souks” (markets) and djemma el-fnaa, or Square of the Dead, once used to display the executions of prisoners but now used for outdoor food stalls and entertainment, Marrakech is the Morocco many think of when considering the country for a vacation. With the desert to one side and the looming High Atlas mountains to the other, Marrakech is truly a magical city. This is made more so by its recent transition into a more decadent venue. Bars and clubs are springing up across the new city, inviting Moroccans to sit back, sip a beer (another taboo across much of the Middle East) and socialize with singles outside of the home and immediate community. Across town, in the old city, gay Europeans are coming in droves to buy up expensive real estate to renovate traditional Moroccan riads, or courtyard homes, into summer homes. Many rural Moroccan gays are leaving their villages and farms to settle into apartments and homes in Morocco’s new flashy vacation city. Walking through the djemma el-fnaa one evening, I met several gay Moroccan men, all out enjoying themselves and their new found urban freedom. This new liberalism has even resulted in the publication of a “Hedonists Guide to Marrakech”, part of a series of tour books usually reserved for larger, more European destinations. Agadir, Casablanca, and Fez, three other Moroccan cities, are also working to catch up with Marrakech’s success, expanding their new cities and allowing the construction of discotheques, bars, and other places that encourage mingling amongst the Moroccan youth.

In short, Morocco is no France or Spain. To be openly homosexual is still dangerous, if more to one’s reputation and family honor than to one’s physical safety as in other Middle Eastern countries. While the king still calls all the shots and the press is heavily censured, the diverse history of the Moroccan people is creating a moderate atmosphere in a conservative neighborhood of the world. More and more Moroccan gays are finding it easier to meet each other and live their lives, especially in cities such as Marrakech. Gay travelers are finding an option in the Middle East to experience Arab culture and not fear for their safety, although modesty is absolutely required when in public. And while the Moroccan dialect still uses words such as “sadj” to describe homosexuals, many are finding themselves apathetic and, in some rare cases, open to same-sex relations. After returning home from living in Morocco, I called my host brother to tell him that I am gay. I was almost more nervous than when I came out to my parents. I expected immediate rejection from my host family, a crumbling of cross cultural relations I had nurtured over the past year. To my surprise my host brother and other Moroccan friends completely embraced my sexuality. “Who cares?” my host brother exclaimed, “You are my brother, and I love you for who you are.”

I only hope that this feeling of acceptance and openness will become more and more widespread in Morocco in the years to come.