Official Name: Republic of Panama
Population: 3,310,000
Capital: Panama City - Pop. 709,000
Area: 75,517 sq. km. / 46,924 sq. miles.
Language: Spanish
Religion: Roman Catholic
Status of Homosexuality: Legal
Telephone Country Code: 507
Homosexual acts are legal in Panama. The decriminalization occurred on July 31, 2008, when Presidential Decree No. 332 came into force. It repealed Article 12 of the Decree No. 149 of 1949, which previously criminalized homosexual relations. The age of consent is equal at 18. There are also no laws protecting gays from discrimination. Gays and lesbians are banned from both the armed forces and the police. Panama's 2007 Gay Pride march occurred on June 30. Activists from the Association of New Men and Women of Panama (AHMNP, by its Spanish initials) gathered on Via Espaņa at Via Argentina to pass out "Myths about homosexuality" leaflets and condoms.
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