Panama pushes for LGTBI rights in Inter-American court

Organizations of sexual diversity on Friday asked the president of Panama, Juan Carlos Varela, for a statement on the call of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to recognize same-sex marriage.

"We ask that  President Juan Carlos Varela value the ruling of the Inter-American Court," Ricardo Beteta, leader of the New Men’s and Women’s Association of Panama, an organization that defends the rights of the LGTBI community ’’ (lesbians, gays, transsexuals, bisexual and intersex).

The Inter-American Court this week issued an opinion in which it pointed out that same-sex couples have the same rights as a heterosexual marriage and rejected that they should have a different legal status to that which protects couples of different sex.

In addition, it recognized the right of the transsexual population to register legally with the name and sex with which they identify themselves.

Panama is a signatory of the Inter-American Court, which, according to Beteta, "must assume" the opinions of this regional body.

"It is a victory for the LGTBI collectives that the courts recognize that we have the right to an identity and to form families," said Beteta, who also urged other countries to recognize same-sex relationships.

Two Panamanians filed appeals before the Supreme Court of Justice for their marriages with homosexual couples to be legally recognized. However, the court has not ruled on these cases.