Morocco: two gay men imprisoned for sex

[shenmue]

Story here

In Morocco, two men have been sentenced to three years in prison, after they were caught having sex.

Ray Cole, an English national, was imprisoned on the same charge earlier this year, and released after a public outcry.

[closeupready]

1. Because, as Christians teach us, if it's not illegal, everyone would be gay.

[Amimnoch]

3. Very true statement, not really applicable in this particular case.

Morocco is pretty darn close to completely Muslim. Used to be somewhat open minded version of Muslim, but I understand that has changed much from 20 years ago. (Last I looked the combined % of all other religion besides Sunni Muslim was hovering around 1%, and the remaining 99% was Sunni.

None the less, you statement does still stand quite true though

[Amimnoch]

2. Morocco has changed much in the last 20 years.

In the early 90's I'd visited Tanger several times. It was a country of an almost schizophrenic nature (two very distinct personalities always there at the same time.)

Homosexuality was highly illegal with very severe punishments by law.. yet almost completely unenforced on those practicing, and was pretty openly accepted (but never to be discussed), however LGBT activism was not tolerated at all (meet, have sex, do what you want, but don't try to change the laws or the country was basically the rule). Everybody "knew" of the gay places, where they were, what they were for, but it was just.. not spoken of.

The best hash in the world was just about everywhere, and in many places openly smoked by Hookah.... yet it was highly illegal, with severe criminal penalty.. again, pretty much it was only enforced on people who's behavior became "disruptive" to the harmony, or if someone did something to upset an official.

It was a really difficult place to explain to those who haven't actually experienced it just how much of a dual nature that country has.

I haven't been there in a long time but a Turkish friend of mine had warned me a few years back (I had posted that I was looking at going back for a vacation) that it has changed much, gone very conservative Islamist, and both the Hash, and the gay laws are much more enforced now. I elected not to go back after that advice. It's a real shame.. the scenery, architecture, and culture there was incredible.