With the hoisting of the LGBTIQ+ Pride Flag, in the Plaza Catedral del Casco Antiguo, the organizations that fight for the rights of the LGBTIQ+ population demand that the Panamanian State formulate public policies that guarantee the full exercise of their Civil Rights and access universal access to education, health and employment services without any type of stigma or discrimination.
The Hoisting of the Pride Flag in Panama is an initiative that gives us visibility as a population and vindicates the fight for our rights that began in Stonewall, New York, in 1969. This is why today we raise the rainbow flag cobra greater relevance, after the Supreme Court of Justice ruled against equal marriage, institutionalizing discrimination and strengthening hate speech.
“We want to remind the Panamanian State that it is responsible for protecting and defending all its citizens without any discrimination and that this ruling leaves our families unprotected. We also invite the State to review the regulations of the national security establishments, which penalize homosexuality and consider it a degrading act,” said Samirah Armengol, executive director of Panama Pride.
The flag bearers this year are Álvaro Levy and Ken Gilberg, who since 2014 legalized the recognition of their family, which is recognized in most countries in the region, however, the Panamanian State denies its existence and therefore therefore the rights that correspond to them.
“We firmly believe in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights where it says, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,” which is why we are suing the Supreme Court of Justice to establish equal marriage in Panama. It is a fundamental link to the rights of the LGBTIQ+ community in this country”, says Álvaro Levy. #RadioPanama
