"Gay and Trans Panic Defense Prohibition Act of 2018 and 2019"
Document Type
Presentation
Type
EnACT
UN Sustainable Development Goal
UNSDG #5: Gender Equality
Start Date
29-4-2020 10:15 AM
End Date
29-4-2020 10:30 AM
Abstract
We focused on United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: gender equality. In the United States specifically, many transgender people struggle with obtaining equity and equality. Our goal is to spread awareness about issues that Trans people face in the United States. We believe that in order to create equality between all genders in the U.S., we first have to target unjust issues that are ingrained into the system, such as in U.S. courts.
The LGBTQ+ Panic Defense, commonly referred to as “gay panic defense” and “trans panic defense”, is a strategy used in court across the United States. This strategy is used by the defendant to lessen their sentence or charge after having committed violent crimes against members of the LGBTQ+ community. Generally, the defendant claims that the victim hit on them, or that the victim had not disclosed information about their identity to the defendant before their encounter. In our research, we focused on the proposed federal bill, the “Gay and Trans Panic Defense Prohibition Act of 2018” (and 2019), that aims to ban the use of this strategy throughout the United States.
The use of LGBTQ+ Panic Defense leads to the unfair treatment of non-cisgender people in America, and we believe the U.S. should ensure that all gender identities are treated equally in the court of law. Since Illinois is one of the states that has already banned the use of the LGBTQ+ Panic Defense in court, we will not focus on instating legislation for our own community. Based on our experiences, we believe that not enough people know about the use of LGBTQ+ panic defense, so the main focus of our project is to educate and spread awareness about the LGBTQ+ panic defense through an informational program, also known as a GA (general assembly).
"Gay and Trans Panic Defense Prohibition Act of 2018 and 2019"
We focused on United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: gender equality. In the United States specifically, many transgender people struggle with obtaining equity and equality. Our goal is to spread awareness about issues that Trans people face in the United States. We believe that in order to create equality between all genders in the U.S., we first have to target unjust issues that are ingrained into the system, such as in U.S. courts.
The LGBTQ+ Panic Defense, commonly referred to as “gay panic defense” and “trans panic defense”, is a strategy used in court across the United States. This strategy is used by the defendant to lessen their sentence or charge after having committed violent crimes against members of the LGBTQ+ community. Generally, the defendant claims that the victim hit on them, or that the victim had not disclosed information about their identity to the defendant before their encounter. In our research, we focused on the proposed federal bill, the “Gay and Trans Panic Defense Prohibition Act of 2018” (and 2019), that aims to ban the use of this strategy throughout the United States.
The use of LGBTQ+ Panic Defense leads to the unfair treatment of non-cisgender people in America, and we believe the U.S. should ensure that all gender identities are treated equally in the court of law. Since Illinois is one of the states that has already banned the use of the LGBTQ+ Panic Defense in court, we will not focus on instating legislation for our own community. Based on our experiences, we believe that not enough people know about the use of LGBTQ+ panic defense, so the main focus of our project is to educate and spread awareness about the LGBTQ+ panic defense through an informational program, also known as a GA (general assembly).