A bill that seeks to ban the so-called
LGBT panic defense advanced Wednesday in Maryland.
According to the Washington Blade,
House Bill 231 cleared the Maryland House of Delegates on Wednesday
with a unanimous vote.
Delegate Julie Palakovich Carr, a
Democrat from Montgomery County, sponsored the bill.
“No Marylander should be denied
justice because of who they are,” she
told the outlet. “The unanimous passage of HB 231 by the House
reaffirms that LGBTQ+ rights are human rights. I look forward to the
Senate acting on the bill so that Maryland can join a growing list of
states that have passed this important protection.”
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.
Eleven states and the District of
Columbia have similar laws. Virginia is expected to become the
twelfth state with such a ban after Governor Ralph Northam, a
Democrat, signs a bill on his desk.
In Maryland, a Senate committee will
begin work on the bill this month.