Michigan bans 'gay and trans panic' defense as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signs historic bill

Source: The Advocate

Michigan bans 'gay and trans panic' defense as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signs historic bill (exclusive)

BY Ryan Adamczeski
July 24 2024 2:16 PM EST

Michigan has officially banned the "LGBTQ+ panic" defense following Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's signature on the historic piece of legislation.

HB 4718 prohibits using the "sexual orientation or gender identity of a victim as a defense to a crime." The bill recently passed the state House of Representatives in a narrow 56 to 54 vote, making it through the state Senate by a larger margin of 24 to 14, with two Republican joining Democrats in support. Whitmer signed the bill into law Tuesday, saying: "No one should fear violence because of their sexuality or gender identity."

"Since I took office, we expanded the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to cover the LGBTQ+ community, established the Michigan LGBTQ+ Advisory Council, and banned conversion therapy for minors," Whitmer told The Advocate. "Our work is not done as we continue to make progress and move Michigan forward. I look forward to reviewing the legislation and continuing to work alongside the LGBTQ+ community to ensure justice."

The so-called "gay panic" defense has been used "to partially or completely excuse crimes such as murder and assault on the grounds that the victim's sexual orientation or gender identity is to blame for the defendant's violent reaction," according to the American Bar Association. Only nineteen states and Washington D.C. now prohibit the "gay panic" — or "gay and trans panic" — defense, according to the Movement Advancement Project, with Michigan being the most recent.

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Read more: https://www.advocate.com/politics/michigan-gay-trans-panic-defense