A new organization has joined the fight against human rights violations and discrimination suffered by sexual and gender minorities (SGM) in French-speaking countries. Two members of the group introduce it here. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Morocco
One focus of Pride Amsterdam: Anti-LGBT countries, victims
Pride Amsterdam organizers are making plans for a July 29 march in support of activists and other people at risk in the 76+ countries with anti-LGBTI laws. This blog is helping with fact-checking and other information. Continue reading
North African activists in 7 countries seek justice
Human rights groups and LGBTI rights organizations from the seven countries of North Africa have joined forces today to seek recognition for the human rights of LGBTI people on the occasion of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT). Continue reading
2016 in review: A year of anti-LGBT violence, repression
Setbacks, ongoing arrests and anti-gay violence marred 2016, despite substantial advances for LGBT rights in several countries. Continue reading
3 arrests in Morocco for clothes that are ‘too feminine’
Police in Sidi Ali Ben Hamdouch, in the Meknès region of Morocco, recently arrested three men on charges of homosexuality and wearing “clothes that resemble those of women.” Activists at the Akaliyat collective, which combats discrimination against sexual and religious minorities, denounced the arrests. Witnesses at the scene said there was “no reason” for the … Continue reading
Jailed for kissing, 2 Moroccan girls win in court
On Dec. 9, a court in Marrakesh, Morocco, dismissed charges against two girls who had been arrested and jailed in late October after being spotted kissing on a rooftop. The girls, ages 16 and 17, had been charged under Article 489 of the Penal Code, which provides for up to three years in prison for … Continue reading
Appeal to Morocco: Drop charges against teenage girls
Authorities in Marrakesh, Morocco, should drop charges against two teenage girls suspected of same-sex conduct, according to an appeal from Human Rights Watch and the Aswat Group for Sexual Minorities, a Moroccan group. The two girls, ages 16 and 17, face up to three years in prison for allegedly kissing each other. Continue reading
100s in jail for being gay
The Erasing 76 Crimes blog has updated its sad tally “100s are in prison for being gay” — one of the blog’s most frequently visited pages. In the past, the blog tried to keep track of individual cases of LGBTI prisoners and defendants, but the number of cases turned out to be too great to continue. … Continue reading
Arrest of 2 girls highlights Morocco’s anti-LGBT persecution
The recent arrests of two teenage Moroccan girls for alleged homosexuality is part of a much larger problem, the Moroccan LGBT collective Aswat says. International attention has focused on Morocco’s anti-LGBT law because two teenage girls, ages 16 and 17, were arrested in Marrakesh after a relative photographed them kissing on a rooftop. The relative … Continue reading
Moroccan police arrest two teenage girls for homosexuality
Police in Morocco arrested and jailed two teenage girls last week on homosexuality charges, the Moroccan news website Yabiladi reported. Sometime later, the girls were granted provisional release in advance of a court hearing scheduled for today [and later rescheduled for Nov. 25.] As of Nov. 5, a French-language petition seeking the girls’ immediate unconditional … Continue reading
