Panama Gay-Reiseindex 2026
Punktzahl = Recht 38/60 + Szene 18/40 = 56/100
Updated 7 Oct 2026 · release 2026.3.
A live score, not an annual report — it recomputes as laws, rulings and the scene itself change. See what moved in 2026.
Rechtliche Sicherheit · Legal milestones · Die Szene vor Ort · Plane deine Reise · Häufige Fragen
Rechtliche Sicherheit — 38/60 Punkte
| Kriminalisierung | Legal |
|---|---|
| Partnerschaft | ● Nein not recognised |
| Antidiskriminierung | ● Teilweise |
| Geschlechtsanerkennung | Legal route — recognition possible via medical or administrative process |
| Praxis der Durchsetzung | Harassment — police or state harassment documented |
Research note: Surgery plus inspection; StateDept police harassment reports — GayOut Index 2026.3 legal research (ILGA World / Human Dignity Trust / Rainbow Europe / Equaldex).
Legal composite, five components
Fulfilment per component (100 = maximum). Weights: criminalisation 35% · partnership 20% · enforcement 20% · anti-discrimination 15% · gender recognition 10%.
Legal milestones
Background, not travel advice — how the current status came to be. For planning a trip, rely on the current score, tier and scene sections above; 2026 movements are tracked in the sourced change log.
- 2005Panama's first Gay Pride march was held in June 2005 with around 100 demonstrators. ↗
- 2006Transgender people gained the right to change legal gender and name on birth certificates, but only after sex reassignment surgery. ↗
- 2008Executive Decree 332 repealed the anti-sodomy law, making Panama the last Spanish-speaking country in the Americas to decriminalize; homosexuality was also declassified as an illness. ↗
- 2016A transgender woman changed her legal name without surgery for the first time in Panama. ↗
- 2023The Supreme Court ruled after a seven-year delay that no positive right to same-sex marriage existed under Panamanian law. ↗
- TodaySame-sex activity remained legal, but marriage stayed unrecognized and discrimination protections remained minimal. ↗
Sources: ILGA World · Human Dignity Trust · Equaldex. Each milestone links to a reference source ↗.
Die Szene vor Ort — 18/40 Punkte
Detailed scene metrics (for researchers)
| Gay-Bars pro Million | 1.11 |
|---|---|
| Saunen pro Million | 0.22 |
| Events pro Million | 0.22 |
| Abdeckungsgrad | A |
| Szene-Punktzahl | 18/40 (Roh-Szeneindex 46/100) |
Häufige Fragen
Ist Panama sicher für schwule Reisende?
Panama is rated Some caution on the GayOut Gay Travel Index 2026, scoring 56/100 overall with a legal safety component of 38/60. On enforcement reality, police or state harassment is documented.
Ist die gleichgeschlechtliche Ehe in Panama legal?
No. Same-sex marriage is not legal in Panama. Overall legal status: Legal.
Gibt es in Panama eine Gay-Szene?
Yes. GayOut lists 22 LGBTQ+ venues in Panama, including 5 dedicated gay bars, across 1 cities with a scene, and tracks 1 Pride parades there.