LGBT rights in Panama

LGBT rights in Panama
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

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.

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amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage was approved by the National Assembly of Panama on October 29, 2019, but was withdrawn before the second vote and referendum required to bring it into force.^[1]