Delaware Becomes 17th State to Outlaw 'Gay and Trans Panic' Defense
Source: The Advocate
Delaware Becomes 17th State to Outlaw 'Gay and Trans Panic' Defense
BY TRUDY RING
OCTOBER 02 2023 5:33 PM EST
Delaware has become the 17th state to ban the "gay and trans panic" defense.
Gov. John Carney signed a bill to this effect into law September 24. It states in part, “In any prosecution or sentencing for an offense, a defendant is not justified in using force against another based on the discovery of, knowledge or belief about, or the potential or actual disclosure of the victim’s actual or perceived sexual orientation, sex, gender, gender identity, or sex assigned at birth.”
State Rep. Eric Morrison, a gay man, was chief sponsor of the bill in the House of Representatives, and Sen. Sarah McBride, a transgender woman, was primary sponsor in the Senate. Delaware’s other LGBTQ+ legislators, Reps. Marie Pinkney, DeShanna Neal, and Kerri Evelyn Harris, were involved in the effort as well, as was Equality Delaware.
Much of the work to pass the bill centered on educating legislators, Morrison tells The Advocate. “Many of them were absolutely shocked that this existed,” he says. “Once you educated them about that, they said this is outrageous.”
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Read more: https://www.advocate.com/law/delaware-bans-lgbtq-panic-defense
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