Abdellah Taia is the first openly gay writer and filmmaker from Morocco, a country in which homosexuality is a crime. Taia moved to Paris and publicly declared his sexuality in 2007, in an interview with TelQuel, an independent Moroccan newspaper. Taia has since become a strong advocate for LGBT rights in the Muslim world. Hislatest film, an adaptation of his 2006 book “L’Armée du Salut” (Salvation Army), describes his experiences growing up in a country where homosexuality is an offense punishable by imprisonment. In 2010,Taia was awarded the prestigious Prix Flore for young authors.