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LGBT Activism in Morocco

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Identity struggles LGBT activism in Morocco Eli Ramsvik Melby Master’s Thesis Department of Sociology and Human Geography UNIVERSITY OF OSLO 30.06.2017 II © Eli Ramsvik Melby 2017 Identity struggles: LGBT activism in Morocco Eli Ramsvik Melby http://www.duo.uio.no/ Trykk: CopyCat, Oslo III Summary This thesis searches to understand the role of identity in lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) movements in repressive contexts. The issues of identity in LGBT activism is studied through the Group in Defense of Minorities (GDM), which is one of the few groups that fight to improve the rights of LGBT and gender minorities in Morocco. The thesis is based on explorative research conducted through fieldwork in Morocco and in-depth qualitative interviews with activists from GDM. Several different theoretical approaches from the field of social movement studies are applied in the analysis. I have used perspectives and concepts from political process theory, new social movements’ theory, and network theory in order to understand how GDM work for the legal rights of LGBT and gender minorities in Morocco. The analysis was drawn out in three parts. (1) I have looked at how GDMs collective identity affects the members’ activism, (2) how do the members construct mobilization strategies in a repressive context, and (3) how the members strategically work with the visibility of LGBT activism. My analysis shows that the activists of GDM construct a space of solidarity and experience within the group that helps them to sustain and reinforce their activism. Further, the analysis gives insights into the group’s strategies, which are primarily aimed at at the state through the documentation and denunciation of LGBT arrests and the violence against the LGBT population. The analysis also shows that the group is dependent of contributions and assistance from fellow activists and allies. The group’s dependency is primarily explained by the constraining context it works in. Lastly, the analysis maps out the different dimensions of the group’s visibility. Here, I draw on Johnston’s (2015) perspective on covert and overt collective protest in authoritarian settings as I expand the traditional political opportunity structure to include GDMs multiple audiences. The issues related to the group’s visibility is drawn out through Jasper and McGarry’s (2015) concept of the identity dilemma. The finding of the thesis challenge the traditional assumption within social movement theory that collective protest is manifested publicly, arguing instead that covert activism is a necessity in a context where the political rights one is fighting for are criminalized. IV V Acknowledgements First and foremost, I wish to express my greatest gratitude to the informants who gave of their time for this study. Your openness and generosity made this project possible, and I have learned so much from you. I would like to thank my two supervisors Mette Andersson and Kjell E. Kjellman. Thank you for sharing your expertise, and for believing in the project from the start. Your interest, encouragements and advice have been indispensable. Throughout the year, I have had the pleasure of discussing my study with friends and colleagues at Fafo. I have greatly appreciated your input. A special thanks to Åge Tiltnes for taking interest in the Moroccan case and for inviting me to partake on the Power2Youth project. I owe many thanks to Ida Lyngstad Wernø and Vilde Sagstad Imeland for making the process of writing a master thesis so enjoyable. I am grateful to have had you by my side every day during the last six months. Special thanks to Håkon Aspøy, Simon Birkvad, Azadeh Taimouri, Liridona Gashi and Liridona Muriq for your friendship and intellectual input. To my family and friends: Thank you for cheering me on. I have missed seeing you. Last but not least, I would like to thank Fredrik Nordbø for reading all of my drafts, and for discussing every idea with me. Your continuous encouragements have kept me going throughout the entire process. VI VII Table of Contents 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1 2 Mapping out the political context in Morocco ................................................................... 6 Formal politics in Morocco .................................................................................................... 6 Political engagement in Morocco ........................................................................................... 8 The 20th February Movement ............................................................................................. 9 State repression .................................................................................................................... 11 The socio-political context of sexual minorities in Morocco ............................................... 12 3 Theoretical perspectives on structure, networks and identity .......................................... 14 Political process theory ........................................................................................................ 15 Networks in social movements ............................................................................................ 17 New social movements and identity politics ........................................................................ 20 Collective identity and strategic choices .............................................................................. 22 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 24 4 Data and methods ............................................................................................................. 26 Research strategy .................................................................................................................. 26 Recruitment and access ........................................................................................................ 28 Interview guide ..................................................................................................................... 29 In the field ............................................................................................................................ 30 Linguistic barriers ............................................................................................................ 33 The steps of analyzing data .................................................................................................. 34 Ethical reflections and considerations .................................................................................. 36 5 Reinforcing activism through spaces of experience and solidarity .................................. 38 Activist identification ........................................................................................................... 38 Coming together ................................................................................................................... 43 Friendship and a space of solidarity ..................................................................................... 49 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 52 6 Mobilizing in a constraining context ................................................................................ 53 Constraining factors ............................................................................................................. 53 Allies of convenience ........................................................................................................... 56 Information and documentation ........................................................................................... 58 Dimensions of denunciation ................................................................................................. 62 VIII Media strategy .................................................................................................................. 63 Duality in strategies .......................................................................................................... 67 Strategy of certification ........................................................................................................ 69 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 71 7 Strategic visibility ............................................................................................................ 72 Balancing visibility .............................................................................................................. 72 The identity dilemma ........................................................................................................... 73 Invisibility ............................................................................................................................ 74 Consequences of visibility ................................................................................................... 75 Invisible and visible work .................................................................................................... 76 They are different from other groups working on the same subject ................................ 78 Discreetly contesting the authorities ...............................................................................
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