Sexuality isn't a justification for murder. Kentucky's 'gay panic' defense says it is. [View all]
Source: USA Today
Sexuality isn't a justification for murder. Kentucky's 'gay panic' defense says it is.
Robert Blake Watson
Updated Sat, December 2, 2023 at 1:20 PM EST·4 min read
If you’re charged with murdering someone who is queer or trans in Kentucky, you may have a powerful legal defense on your side. Kentucky is among the states that allow for you to excuse that murder on the basis that your violence was a justified reaction to the victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
That might sound outrageous, because it is. It's also true.
It's called the LGBTQ+ “panic” defense, and it is nothing new in America’s legal system. Thankfully, it is on a rapid decline.
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The LGBTQ+ panic defense relies on the assumption that it is reasonable for a perpetrator to react violently to discovering a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity, or in responding to a romantic advance by a queer or trans person.
The defense has allowed for individuals accused of murder to have their charges and sentences reduced because of their “justification” for responding violently to the knowledge that an individual identifies as LGBTQ+.
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Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/sexuality-isnt-justification-murder-kentuckys-101129589.html
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