MOROCCO’S FIRST GAY MAG

The first LGBT magazine to be published in Morocco has been launched in the predominantly Muslim North African country.

Titled Mithly, which means ‘gay’ in Arabic, the magazine says that it intends to offer a platform for “lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transsexuals to express themselves.”

Around 200 copies of the first issue were put on sale this month amid calls by fundamentalists to ban the publication.

Mithly, created by Samir Baragachi – the president of Kif Kif, a Moroccan LGBT organisation, also offers a website, which can be found here.

The editorial team is currently based in Spain out of fear of persecution. Like many other Islamic countries, homosexuality is illegal in Morocco with penalties of up to three years in prison.