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 homosexual people, often victims of stigma and violence, have hidden their identity for a long time. Only recently, a part of the Moroccan government, supported by the Ministry of Health, started a fair debate to promote the depenalization of homosexuality in the country, also with the help of the emerging national LGBT associations. Starting from the analysis conducted on some interviews to the 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, web and social networks are playing a central role for at least two important reasons: 1) The spread of social networks and lgbt chats has been an useful way to develop the individual homosexual identities. In fact, these tools have facilitate the interpersonal communication between homosexual people, because them offer the possibility to interact, to meet, experiencing their sexuality and engaging homo-erotic relationships away from the State control; 2) Lgbt apps has been used not only to set up loving, affective or sexual relationships, but also to organize and coordinate reactionary actions, growing the awareness of the homosexual community at a political and social level.