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For Immediate Release
May 15, 2018
Contact: Mari Nemec
(202) 637-7661 / mari@lgbtbar.org
The National LGBT Bar Association Applauds Rhode Island House Committee's Passage of Bill H7066
Washington, D.C. - The LGBT Bar celebrates the passage out of committee of H7066, a bill that would ban the Gay/Trans "Panic" Defense in Rhode Island courtrooms.
This heinous defense relies on stigma against the LGBT community. It asks a jury to find a victim's self-identified or perceived sexuality or gender identity to blame for the defendent's excessively violent reaction. Such a defense indicates that LGBT lives are less valuable than others and allows violent criminals to avoid accountability.
Rhode Island has taken an important step towards justice. If H7066 is passed by the House and Senate, and signed into law, Rhode Island will become the third state to ban this shameful defense. Currently, California and Illinois are the only two states in the United States that ban the use of the Gay/Trans "Panic" Defense.
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