Moroccan Queers for Legal and Safe Abortions
On September 6th, 2022, Mariem, a 15 years old girl from Midelt died as she was trying to get an abortion. She was trying to abort her unwanted pregnancy after a 25-year-old pedophile had raped her. As queer people from Morocco, we stand for access to legal and safe abortions for all. Article 449 of the Moroccan penal code still criminalizes abortion, and that needs to change. Access to legal and safe abortion is an intersectional and queer issue. Rich women from cities have easier access to abortions than poor women from rural areas. Non-citizens face additional difficulties. Queer people (not just straight, cis-women!) who want to have abortions face the difficulties linked with the illegality and inaccessibility of abortion, but also with difficulties linked to the homo-transphobia that defines the legal and medical systems. Access to safe, legal, and accessible abortions in Morocco is a queer issue! It is an issue that we should all fight for! Fighting for access to abortion is everyone’s responsibility. It is important to push the public to collectively reflect on the importance of having access to safe and legal abortion. Men, women, and gender-diverse people should all fight for safe and legal abortion!
