Anti-gay'ism?

Poverty is a surefire way to incite fear for The Other.

However, Morocco has always been surprisingly relax in these matters.

Even while (again) going through an economic crisis, political sentiments are far more relax than they are in the struggling economies of southern Europe.

However, that is not extended to sexuality.

While women rights are slowly, very slowly improving, gay rights are nowhere, even less today than 5 years ago.

You are respected, if you show respect. But outing you as gay hugely depends on where, why and to whom.

Exit the Gay Resort

There are factors, such as the era of the International Zone, that have given different sexual orientations a very bad reputation.

Because in that era, Tangier was the epicentre of the first cosmopolitans, and the first gay resort of the whole world, and in fact the first real holiday resort.

But it quickly turned into a rather sleezy affair, and the memories of that do not exactly make anyone proud.

Let's get this straight

Gay Tangier obviously means happy Tangier.

> Being gay in Morocco
> The opposite: Gay Malaga

Where to go?

No bars, clubs or disco's you have to go to... it's in the streets.

The new town around Le Boulevard and, on summer evenings, the Seafront are of course the nicest places, where you will always find people to chat with or have a tea with.

Les Hustlers

In spite of the image you get on the tourist trail, Morocco is largely a country in economic turnmoil.

And survival techniques are strong.

So you better be aware, not every person smiling at you, sees anything more than a walking Dollar Sign.

Then again, so do telephone marketeers, and also with them you can have an interesting chat.

Movies


Tangier played a major role in movies as The Sheltering Sky, Prick up your ears and The Bourne Ultimatum

The latter makes that having a tea at the terrace of Café de la France has now also become popular with tourists.

Even more in the closet

So you think you are in the closet?

Here's something literally nobody talks about in the region. > That what we do not talk about.