Does any one know how Moroccans feel about gay people?
First of all, people are NOT beheaded for being gay in Morocco. Morocco is one of the most liberal Muslim countries in the world, and although homosexuality is not open and is certainly frowned upon, it’s not as serious a crime as it is elsewhere. There’s a small gay scene in Morocco, but most of it involves tourists and Moroccan men. Famously, Tangier in the 1950s-60s was a haven for gay bars and gay artists – Paul Bowles is the most famous American resident of Morocco (1950 until his 1999 death), and was openly gay, and had relations with Moroccan men. Generally speaking, Moroccan men will hide the fact that they are gay. Not only is it ***** (forbidden) by Islam, but it’s also shameful in a culture where men pride themselves on bravado and machismo. Anyhow, having lived in Morocco for quite sometime, I can tell you that not all Moroccans are homophobic, but the culture is pretty repressive toward homosexuality.
