Queer Network Meeting Planned at Sociology Forum in Rabat

A storm of controversy has erupted in Moroccan and Arab academic circles after the International Sociological Association (ISA) announced the launch of a “Queer ISA Network” (QISA), with a founding meeting scheduled to take place on the sidelines of the 5th World Forum of Sociology, set to be held in Rabat in the coming days.

The meeting is scheduled for the evening of Monday, July 7, yet was not included in the forum’s official program released weeks earlier. According to ISA, the event will be followed by an “informal dinner,” with no precise location disclosed — a move critics see as a deliberate attempt to bypass local sensitivities.

Many academics view the initiative as an effort to push ideological agendas that may clash with Morocco’s social and cultural values, all outside official academic channels.

The fact that this meeting was not publicly announced within the formal conference agenda has raised serious questions regarding transparency and respect for host country norms. Tensions have been heightened in recent days by widespread protests over the presence of Israeli researchers at the same forum.

Observers fear this controversy could undermine the credibility of the forum, and raise broader concerns about how global academic institutions engage with local contexts. Should such forums respect national and cultural frameworks, or prioritize global ideological trends?

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