Colorado Bans Gay And Trans ‘Panic’ Defenses
Colorado has become the 11th state in the US to ban the “gay panic” and “trans panic” defences in courtrooms. Gov. Jared Polis, the first out man elected governor of any US state, signed several bills of LGBT+ interest into law.
“We’ve come a long way here in Colorado since our days as the hate state. We really went from a place where discrimination was legalized in the 1990s to where we are today, where Colorado is a leader,” said Polis. He described the panic defence as “absurd,” “outdated,” and “insidious.” The defense has been used in attempts to justify assaulting or even killing LGBTQ+ people, but in recent years it has been invoked only rarely in Colorado.
One of the several LGBT+ friendly bills Polis signed into law includes simplifying the requirements for people younger than 18 years old to change their gender on their birth certificates, as ‘Denver Post’ reports.
Another law allows pharmacists to prescribe HIV-prevention medications while it also requires insurance carriers to cover them. This bill is expected to increase the access to such medications.
Read related myGwork articles here:
New York Bans “Gay Panic” Murder Defence
Colorado Politician Could Be First Gay Man Elected to US Senate
Colorado Courthouse That Issued Gay Marriage Licenses in 1975 Gets Federal Recognition
Colorado Becomes First US State To Issue Intersex Birth Certificate
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