via ROYGBIV:
Hard to believe this isn’t already illegal in ALL THE PLACES, but kudos to California’s legislature and Governor Jerry Brown for making California the first state in the union to ban the use of the so-called “gay panic” or “trans panic” defense. Since, you know, your phobia of LGBT+ people is not justification for hurting or killing us.
Governor Jerry Brown signed into law on Saturday AB 2051 prohibiting the I-can’t-believe-this-was-still-legal-in-California-in-2014 homophobic and transphobic “defense,” according to East Bay Express. What’s worse, although not surprising, is this horribleness has actually been usedsuccessfully. Like in a real court of law! Here! In 2008, Brandon McInerney was convicted not of murder but voluntary manslaughter for shooting his high school classmate, Larry King, in the back of the head after his counsel used “gay panic” as a defense. He did end up taking a plea deal including second degree murder, but life in prison was taken off the table.
