photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

Mauricio, in his own words “Homosexuality has always been stigmatized in latino American countries, so coming out in a country like Panama was not an easy ride. The thought of not being loved by even one of my parents scared me to death and made me hesitate whether I had to tell them or not. My mother was the first to know, she cried and demanded an explanation on why I was this way, is there an explanation on why are we the way we are?

I am really proud to have great and very talented gay friends in my country, they are such an inspiration for me to try to be a better person and to spread equality in such a little country as Panama, whilst always keeping up with the fast development it is having as a modern metropolis, often called the Hong Kong of Latin America. We still have a lot to fight, people care a lot about what others think and since everyone knows everyone, gossip can be a very tough thing to handle and battle. But after all we are a growing community that has risen up from all the prejudices and have battled the sticks and stones that marked our lives and that’s what life’s about, rising up from our sufferings, learning from them and making the world a better place for us all.