Metro Weekly - ANC Rainbow Caucus Urges DC Council to Pass Law Prohibiting LGBTQ Panic Defenses: In an article published by Metro Weekly this week, Councilmember Pinto discussed her support for the “Bella Evangelista and Tony Hunter Panic Defense Prohibition and Hate Crimes Response Amendment of 2020.” This legislation will ban the use of the LGBTQ panic defense, a legal strategy used to defend a perpetrator of violence crimes against LGBTQIA+ community members in the District of Columbia.
“This legal strategy frequently draws on stigmas particular to the LGBTQ+ community, their sexualities or genders to justify horrific violence against these individuals. The defense is rooted in homophobia and transphobia,” said Councilmember Pinto. “Let me say categorically that there is no place for any type of crime in the district and there are certainly no place for bias-motivated hate crimes in our city. But this important bill no longer will defendants be able to justify, excuse or mitigate their violent and egregious, unacceptable conduct with this bill.”
To read the full article on Metro Weekly's website, click here.