The Offbeat Accountant

"A bold attempt, is half success" -Danish Proverb If we take five minutes to look back in history, just 10 years ago, it was illegal to be gay in Panama. Only in 2008, while other countries started to approve LGBTQ unions or marriages, a presidential decree decriminalized homosexual relationships. In 2019, even though there are no laws against that directly discriminate the LGBTQ community, they still find most of their rights diminished compared to other citizens. Beyond not being able to get married or adopt children, LGBTQ couples cannot ask for a sharedbank loan to buy a house, deduct their spouse in the Income Tax,or  accompany his/her partner into a public hospital if an accident occurs. Even small details are denied, such as having to fill two different customs paperwork when they enter the country, as they are not considered a “family group”.  Those are only a few examples on why LGBTQI inclusivity is one of our priorities in the GS Panama Hub. We aim to co...

"A bold attempt is half success" - Danish Proverb Si nos tomamos cinco minutos para mirar en perspectiva, hace solo 10 años era ilegal ser gay en Panamá. Recién en 2008, mientras que otros países comenzaban a aprobar las uniones civiles o matrimonios igualitarios, un decreto presidencial despenalizó las relaciones homosexuales. En 2019, a pesar de que no haya leyes en contra de que discriminen directamente a la comunidad LGBTQ, aún encuentran la mayoría de sus derechos disminuidos en comparación con otros ciudadanos. Más allá de no poder casarse o adoptar, las parejas LGBTQ se encuentran imposibilitadas de realizar algunas actividades típicas para una pareja heterosexual: no pueden pedir un préstamo bancario en conjunto para comprar una casa, deducir a su cónyuge en el Impuesto sobre la Renta, ingresar con su pareja en un hospital público si ocurre un accidente, o incluso un detalle tan pequeño como tener que llenar dos declaraciones de aduana diferentes cuando ingre...

" Armed with the rainbow flag, symbol of human diversity, they are revolutionizing one of the most sinister legacies of the past. The walls of intolerance are beginning to crumble. This affirmation of dignity, which dignifies us all, arises from the courage to be different."  Eduardo Galeano It was an ordinary Saturday, like any other. That night I didn´t feel like going out but my friends insisted, so at 2 am I was already at the bar with a drink in my hand and a winning attitude. I saw him come to talk to my best friend with a made-up excuse, one of those that are so lame that they bring out a smile automatically because we cannot think that are still being used these days. Two days later we had our first date, in a place that was well above our budget, but we had to bet for the sake of love, right? You can see that the investment was worth it because one month later we were living together. After a year and a half, we got engaged and soon after we got married in ...

“Armados con la bandera del arco iris, símbolo de la diversidad humana, están revolucionando uno de los legados más siniestros del pasado. Los muros de la intolerancia están empezando a desmoronarse. Esta afirmación de la dignidad, que nos dignifica todo, nace del coraje de ser diferente.” Eduardo Galeano Era un sábado común y corriente, como cualquier otro. Esa noche no iba a salir pero mis amigos insistieron, así que a las dos horas ya estaba en el bar con trago en mano y actitud ganadora. Lo vi acercarse a hablar a mi mejor amiga con alguna excusa, de esas que son tan trilladas que nos sacan una sonrisa automáticamente porque no podemos pensar que se sigan usando. Dos días más tarde tuvimos nuestra primera cita, en un lugar que estaba bien por encima del presupuesto de los dos, pero había que hacer valer la esperanza del amor, ¿no?. Se ve que la inversión valió la pena porque un mes después estábamos conviviendo. Al año y medio nos comprometimos y al poco tiempo nos ca...

“Let no one cage who you were born to be” -       Anonymous  Once upon a time there was a rainbow zebra, yes you read well, rainbow! His name was Monroe and instead of being black and white as everyone in its herd, he was multi-color. When he was young, Monroe used to live happily with his siblings and friends. He did not care much about being different. In fact, everyone wanted to choose him for their teams because he gave an air of freshness wherever he went. He had an amazing sense of humor, which he expressed by even making fun of himself. Monroe loved to travel. It was his only hobby and passion. Whenever he had the chance, he called some of his friends and started galloping to the horizon. Sometimes they left for one day or two, but there was that time when they travel for almost three weeks. When they came back and saw the map, they realized that they had been through almost 3 countries!! When he came of age, his father told ...

“Race hate isn't human nature; race hate is the abandonment of human nature."                                                                     - Orson Wells (1915-1985) In recent months the term Xenophobia has been on the everybody’s lips.  The set of several events, such as the reinvigoration of the Ku Klux Klan in the United States after Trump`s election, the latest jihadist attacks in Europe, marches against LGBTI rights, the rise of a Neo Nazi political party in Germany, or the persecution of other immigrant minorities in different countries in Latin American, makes us realize that the world still has a long road to peace and world coexistence. But come on, let's start by defining the theme. Google defines a phobia as: " an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something ." [1] Some...