His name is Abdellah Taïa, he is 35 years old, and he is the first intellectual in Morocco to come out as gay. A big step for a country, which, as it defines itself, “lives in denial of homosexuality”.
The writer has been in exile in Paris since 1999, a city that in 2006 “recognized” his homosexuality in an article published by the Moroccan weekly magazine “Tel Quel”.
In June 2007, the same magazine dedicated a cover to the writer, with a photo where the word “homosexual” could be read. Author of novels with autobiographical content, Taïa is in Spain participating in an international congress that debates the situation of homosexuals in Muslim countries.
In Morocco, for example, even though gays and lesbians are not sentenced to the death penalty, homosexuality is punished with up to 3 years in prison and the weight of “H'chouma”, that is, shame.
By coming out of the closet, Taïa became an example to other young people who suffer from discrimination in her country. The writer's own family had to bear social pressure. In an interview with the Spanish newspaper “Público”, Taïa said that her younger brother could not even go out on the street.
A story of courage and overcoming that surpassed the harsh and cruel barriers of prejudice.
