“I was on my way home when I start getting calls from my (GF) girlfriend’s brothers, I did not
answer the calls, but they left me multiple voicemails, calling me all kinds of names and saying
that I was the reason their sister became gay and that I ruined her life and her future. And then
mad texts from her mother started coming, mostly cursing bad words and hate messages
addressed to me. I had no idea what was going on. They threatened to call the police on me for
being gay. They threatened to call Immigration, so they didn’t let me enter the US. I tried to call
my GF, but she didn’t answer. I felt trapped and horrified. I was scared for her life, my life, and
my family.
According to Morocco’s legal code, “an indecent act or act against nature” with someone of the
same sex, can result in up to three years in prison. And we all saw in the media how
disrespectful and cruel correctional officers can be towards women in prison in Muslim
countries. A few months ago, a woman in Iran was raped and killed in jail, and the government
did nothing about it. Being arrested for homosexuality in Morocco will result in having your name
publicized, which will subsequently result in the loss of a job, ostracizing from one’s family, and
other social ramifications. Whether they are going to face actual prosecution or face the
consequences that would result from a mere arrest.
When I got home, I received an email from my GF. She ran away from her parent’s house,
having nothing, because after she came out to her family, they took away her phone, passport,
clothes, and money. Her parents told her to stop seeing me. They said she would stay in
Morocco and they would find a nice husband for her, so she ran away in her pajamas, plastic
flip flops, and 50 dirhams, basically 5 dollars. At this moment, I realized that she exposed us
both. We were supposed to fly to the US a day after, it was our only escape, but her
parents took away her passport, and I couldn’t leave her alone in Morocco. I said goodbye to my
family, realizing it was probably the last time I would see them, and said I had a flight to catch to
the US. Instead, I met my GF and ran to an American embassy. They understood the situation
and gave my GF a temporary passport since she was a US citizen. When we landed in the US,
we finally felt safe and free because nobody could tell us who to love, lock us in a house for
that, punish us, arrest us, or kill us for it.
After years of pressure and mental abuse from my GF’s parents, we broke up, and she returned
to communicate with her family. Unfortunately, in my case, the exposure damage was too
extensive, so there is no way back for me.”
