Nisreen Kalai

Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Baram, Uzi

Area of Concentration

International and Area Studies with French Language and Literature and Arabic

Abstract

This thesis explores the shifting dynamics of LGBTQ+ activism in Morocco, challenging the perception that queerness is foreign to Moroccan culture. It situates contemporary struggles within a broader historical context shaped by colonialism, Islamic conservatism, and today's culture. The legacy of French-imposed laws, particularly Article 489, continues to criminalize same-sex relationships and reinforce a culture of silence around queer existence. Despite this repression, LGBTQ+ individuals in Morocco are actively resisting, through grassroots organizing, digital platforms, feminist coalitions, and community-based care. The February 20th Movement marked a turning point, creating new spaces for expression and solidarity, even as queer voices remain marginalized in mainstream discourse. Central to this thesis is the work of Abdellah Taïa, whose literature and public presence have become acts of political defiance. By writing openly about queer Moroccan life and refusing exile or silence, Taïa reimagines visibility not as Western mimicry but as a deeply rooted, culturally specific form of resistance. This thesis argues that the fight for queer liberation in Morocco is not only ongoing, it is growing, adapting, and beginning to reshape both society and self from within.

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