Homosexual citizenship and technologies: the case of Morocco

In Morocco, consensual sexual relations between same sex adults are criminalized. Under article 489 of the Moroccan Penal Code, homosexuality is punished with imprisonment for six months to three years and with a fine of 200 to 1,000 Dirham. For this reason, Moroccan homosexuals, often victims of stigma and violence, have been hiding their identity for a long time. Starting from the analysis of some interviews with representatives of lgbt Moroccan associations, the paper aims to describe and analyze the process of identity construction that the homosexual community is experiencing in Morocco. The study highlights how, in this situation, the web and the social networks are playing a crucial role for at least three important reasons: in the first place the spread of social networks and lgbt chats has been a useful way to develop individual homosexual identities thanks to the comparison with other homosexuals in the world; secondly, these tools offer the possibility to interact, to meet and to experience sexuality and to engage homo-erotic relationships away from the State control; finally, lgbt apps have also been useful for the growth of the awareness of the homosexual community at a political and social level.