Every traveler hopes to enjoy a vacation in complete safety and peace of mind, and gay travelers hope for it most of all. Sadly, homophobic violence against LGBT couples who are simply walking hand in hand or sharing a moment of affection in public is still far too common. A gesture that goes unnoticed when a straight couple does it becomes a scandal when two people of the same sex do.
And what happens when these travelers vacation in a conservative country like Morocco? It’s a question I’m often asked by people planning to book one of my tours, and fortunately, and with growing joy, I can answer that Morocco is a safe country for LGBTQ+ travelers too.
Is Morocco gay-friendly?
Of course, it’s also true that when it comes to LGBT rights, Morocco is still very far behind, and its laws lag well behind those of most European countries. To this day, under Article 489 of the Moroccan penal code, “lewd or unnatural acts between members of the same sex” can be punished with up to three years in prison and a fine. It’s a relatively recent law: before independence in 1956, Morocco had more international, permissive laws on homosexuality and was much more open than countries like the United States or the United Kingdom.
Although this law isn’t applied very strictly against Moroccans, it’s even less so against tourists. In general, though, people in Morocco follow the local Islamic custom of avoiding public displays of affection, whether straight or gay. It’s very rare to see locals kissing in the street, regardless of sexual orientation, and this custom is reasonably respected by travelers who want to immerse themselves in Moroccan customs and culture and approach local habits with respect.
Since homosexuality is a crime in Morocco, I advise travelers to act discreetly in many parts of the country. But note one detail: in Muslim countries it’s very common to see men walking hand in hand who aren’t in a gay relationship. For Muslims, this gesture is a sign of friendship, so nobody is surprised to see two Muslim men holding hands, while they would be very surprised to see two tourists doing the same.
Of course there are gay people in Morocco too, but they don’t live their sexuality openly. You won’t easily find LGBT-friendly venues, except in two cities in particular: Marrakech and Tangier, the most gay-friendly cities in Morocco, so much so that Tangier was once known as Queer Tangier.
Today Marrakech is the Moroccan destination most popular with LGBTQ+ travelers, precisely because it’s where most tourists go, so the atmosphere is very cosmopolitan, international, open and more tolerant than in other parts of the country.
In the Red City there are many hotels, restaurants and nightclubs that LGBTQ+ people can visit freely, although discretion is always the watchword.
Marrakech has LGBT organizations founded by activists to support the local community. It’s partly thanks to them that attitudes toward queer people have relaxed in recent years, so much so that one might almost think a shift toward acceptance of the LGBT community, by Western standards, could be on the way.
Is Morocco safe for LGBTQ+ travelers?
To sum up, I’ll say it again: yes, Morocco is safe for gay travelers, because it’s a modern, welcoming country where no one should feel in danger, whatever their sexual orientation. Getting to know Morocco offers a very rich cultural experience in a land whose great strength is hospitality. Every traveler will feel welcome, although my advice is to respect local customs and avoid public displays of affection so as not to attract unwanted attention or be seen as disrespectful. But that, again, applies to everyone, whatever their sexual orientation.
Online I found a statement from a few years ago by Peter Tatchell, a British gay rights activist, who argued that, compared with other Arab countries and most of the developing world, Morocco is a better and safer place for LGBT people: homosexuality is illegal, but the law is rarely enforced, and Western gay tourism has a positive influence in helping to break down homophobia.
So don’t avoid Morocco if you’re LGBTQ+: on the contrary, choose it and recommend it. That way, you’ll be one piece of the big puzzle that will build a world that’s equal for everyone.
Lisa
