This paper examines the politics of being queer in a cross-cultural context in Abdellah Taia's short story "Moroccan Slave". 'Queer politics' will be read in two manners: first, as the politics of being queer for both Moroccans and Americans; second, as the perplexing politics of gay relationships. The aim of this paper is to shed light on the complex nature that engulfs certain gay relationships which have cross-cultural, religious, and age boundaries. The following questions will be answered

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... ith specific reference to Taia's story: What link might exist between cross-national gay relationships and the issue of colonialism? Is there a need for the 'colonized,' in the conventional meaning of the term, to escape the father figure? Where does love stop and become a desire for absorbing the Other's body? How does nationality affect the dynamics of a gay relationship? Who is the 'slave,' the so-called 'dominated inferior' in Taia's story and in such relationships? How does language affect the two parties of the relationship? What are the implications of desiring to learn the language of the 'Other'?