Morocco, Africa

It takes great courage to confront the brick wall of systemic homophobia in Morocco. By Richard Ammon GlobalGayz.com May 28, 2010 Read this News Report (http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/05/27/feature-03) or read the Previous Blog, May 27, on this site (http://globalgayz.blogspot.com/2010/05/courageous-gay-magazine-mithly-debuts.html) about a gay magazine published for Moroccan gay people and distributed in major cities in Morocco. A daring first. Even if the publishers and activists are in Madrid, understandably, this action takes great courage to confront the brick wall of systemic homophobia in Morocco. Despite criminal threats and social outrage this magazine and the gay Morrocan organization Kif Kif (English version) are undaunted because they see the rightness of the ’cause’ for freedom of expression and the rightness of LGBT people to declare their equal presence. The magazine does not advocate action or try to ‘recruit’ straights to be gay. No pornography, no criticism of the King, no call for a Pride festival.

Despite Islamist hostility and a restrictive legal climate, homosexuals in Morocco are publishing a magazine that covers issues in their community and beyond. Posted by Richard Ammon GlobalGayz.com May 27, 2010 By Imane Belhaj Magharebia News Casablanca [mithly.net] Magazine Mithly (Gay) published its first edition in April but has not applied for a government li In a move that probes the limits of freedom of expression in Morocco, a group of gays and lesbians is working to raise their community’s profile by publishing a trail-blazing magazine. The gay organisation Kif Kif (We are Similar) released a limited number of copies of the first edition of Mithly (Gay) in April, without applying for a government licence that they claim would have been denied. “We didn’t submit a formal application; we knew it would be rejected,” Mithly staff member Karim S., who asked that his last name be withheld to protect his

Introduction Morocco is an ancient civilization steeped in history and hormones, a gold mine for the archeologist and psychologist. If you go looking for the gay ‘scene’ in Morocco, you won’t find it, and if you’re not looking, guy-sex situations will likely unfold. Paradoxical and elusive, male sexuality in Morocco is veiled, ambiguous in meaning, easily bisexual and not used for identity. Dedication This story is dedicated to the memory of my friend George Waldo (right) who contributed much to the making of this report. An educator, writer, film and theatre critic who divided his time between London, El Jadida in Morocco and California, George was a gentleman of learning, compassion and a playful wit. Anyone he befriended became better for it out of his wisdom and guidance. He lovingly mentored and helped educate several young Moroccan friends over the course of his dozen years in El Jadida. George was

By Richard Ammon GlobalGayz.com A Gracious Man and a Fatal Mistake My friend George (pictured right) was murdered in Morocco stabbed multiple times by an enraged assailant who escaped the scene immediately after. Three weeks later the police captured the culprit, a young Arab Muslim man who was wearing George’s ring and carrying his wallet in a back pocket. The motive, said the police, was robbery. I think not. More probably, George hadn’t fulfilled his part of a ‘deal’ with Mustapha, his killer. The deal didn’t involve drugs or contraband or simply money, despite the robbery-face police put on the killing. No, the deal was more subtle, more layered. It had to do with ‘sex and consequences’ and George made the mistake of overlooking some things as time went on and he and Mustafa became more intimate. An educated American from California, a teacher, a film and theatre critic and

A cross-country trip in rented car took us across the land from Casablanca to the capital Rabat, to the Sahara and back to Roman Volubilis. Morocco is color, sand, history and drama. On November 18, 2006, Morocco celebrated the 50th anniversary of its independence from France. Hassan II became King of Morocco on March 3, 1961. His early years of rule would be marked by political unrest. The Spanish enclave of Ifni in the south was reintegrated to the country in 1969. Morocco annexed the Western Sahara during the 1970s after demanding its reintegration from Spain since independence, but final resolution on the status of the territory remains unresolved. Political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature in 1997. Morocco is the fifth economic power of Africa after South Africa, Egypt, Algeria and Nigeria. The present king is King Mohammed VI, born in 1963. He