Panamanian congress shelves controversial law against life and the family

Panama City, Panama, Dec 8, 2008 / 11:37 am

Panama’s House of Representatives has decided to suspend discussion on a controversial law on sexual and reproductive education which was under fire for being anti-life and anti-family.

The Panamanian Alliance for Life and the Family congratulated the lawmakers for suspending discussion of the law over its promotion of gender ideology. The proposed law was under fire for advocating the use of contraceptives by minors, homosexual marriage, the violation of parents’ right to educate their children according to their moral convictions, as well as for going against the country’s constitution.

“We are happy because the congressmen voted their consciences and they said it upfront, they were brave in confronting all of the pressures from international organizations” and all of the “internal pressure” as well, said Gloria Grifo de Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the Alliance.

“What a beautiful testimony was given in the Congress. Only one congressman came out in defense of the ill-fated proposed law,” Rodriguez said.

She added that pro-abortion and pro-homosexual activists who were present during the vote were taken aback by the lawmakers’ decision, and they shouted out at the lawmakers calling them “demagogues, killers and liars.”