New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a
Democrat, on Tuesday signed a bill into law that prohibits use of the
“gay or trans” panic defense in criminal cases.
New Jersey is the ninth state with such
a law.
“We will always stand with our LGBTQ+
community and promote full equality for all our residents,” Murphy
said in a statement. “Gay and trans panic defenses are rooted in
homophobia and abhorrent excuses that should never be used to justify
violence against vulnerable populations. With this new law, we are
enacting critical measures to protect our friends and neighbors in
the LGBTQ+ community.”
Criminal defendants who use the
controversial defense claim that a violent act was triggered by the
revelation of a victim's actual or perceived sexual orientation or
gender identity.
States with similar laws include New
York, California, Hawaii, Connecticut, Maine, Illinois, Nevada, and
Rhode Island.
In an email to supporters, Garden State
Equality, New Jersey's largest LGBT rights advocate, applauded
Murphy's move.
“Up until today, murderers had a
legal strategy in their pocket allowing them to put the blame on an
LGBTQ person for their violent, deadly crime,” the group said. “But
no more. Not in the Garden State.”