Democrats Push to Outlaw 'Gay Panic' Defense
Democrats in Congress have filed a bill to outlaw the "gay panic" defense, sometimes used to argue that assailants deserve lighter sentences or even acquittal because they were panicked into committing a violent crime after an LGBT person made an unwanted advance.
The Gay & Trans Panic Defense Prohibition Act, which was introduced by U.S.' Rep. Joseph Kennedy III and Sen. Edward Markey, both of Massachusetts, would ban the use of "gay panic" as a legal defense in federal court.
Admitting you've committed an act of violence against someone upon discovering they're LGBT “is not a defense, it is a hate crimem" Kennedy told the Washington Blade. “Legal loopholes written into our laws that seek to justify violent attacks against our gay, lesbian, bisexualm and transgender neighbors should never have existed in the first place.” Kennedy is one of Congress's most outspoken advocates for LGBT rights.
https://www.advocate.com/politics/2018/7/13/democrats-push-outlaw-gay-panic-defense
