The association “Voices of Sexual Minorities” (ASWAT) launched a campaign in Morocco to fight against the ‘ill treatment of sexual minorities’ within Moroccan society on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

The campaign was launched only a few day after a Moroccan court convicted six Moroccan men for up to three years in prison over accusations of homosexuality in Fqih Ben Saleh, a Moroccan town east of Rabat. The campaign includes a video call and a petition for the decriminalisation of homosexuality  which gained over 1,000 signatures over the IDAHOT weekend.

A statement released by the group explained that the purpose of the campaign was to protest against the ‘ill treatment of sexual minorities, and to remind the community and the legislators of the needs of this social group’. The statement called for the removal of legal articles that criminalize sexual relations between people of the same sex, stating that
‘these legal provisions promote violence and oppression enacted by society against sexual minorities. The denial of these social groups were, are, and will remain a part of the reality that makes up the fabric of Moroccan society.’

Article 489 of the Moroccan Penal Code prescribes that ‘any sexual act against the order of nature shall be punished with imprisonment of between six months and three years.’ The group calls out ‘to participate in this campaign and contribute to the development of Morocco through a message of respect for sexual minorities.’

ASWAT is an independent, not-profit collective, working on sexual diversity related issues. ASWAT is following a peaceful struggle in order to promote rights for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, transsexual and intersex people in Morocco, and fights against all forms of discrimination and violence against them.

The first issue of ASWAT magazine in April 2012 is considered to founding moment of the collective. The magazine has grown to be a lead reference on LGBT issues in Morocco and throughout the Arab world. The campaign attracted good media coverage (here or here), contributing to breaking the taboo around the issue of homosexuality.ASWAT means ‘voices’ in Arabic.

Through this campaign, organizers hoped to “act against homophobia, which is very present in the Moroccan society and the Arab world in general,” says Ishaq Nouri, Director Deputy of Aswat magazine (full interview in French).

The campaign takes place in the context of the recent three year prison sentence delivered for two Moroccans in the north of the kingdom who were allegedly engaged in same-sex conduct. Another couple of the Rabat region currently stand on trial and face the same punishment.

In Morocco, sexual relations between persons of the same sex are punishable by 6 months to 3 years imprisonment under Article 489 of the Criminal Code.