LGBT rights in Panama
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Panama face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Panama, but same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same legal benefits and protections available to opposite-sex married couples.
LGBT rights in Panama | |
|---|---|
| Status | Legal since 2008 |
| Gender identity | Change of legal gender allowed following sex reassignment surgery |
| Military | Has no military |
| Discrimination protections | No |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships | No |
| Adoption | No |
In March 2023, the Supreme Court of Panama ruled that there is no right to same-sex marriage, despite a 2018 Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruling that member states are obligated to allow same-sex couples to marry.
A constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage was approved by the National Assembly of Panama on October 29, 2019, but was withdrawn before the second vote and referendum required to bring it into force.