Although this has received little press, the passage of HB 4718 this week was an important step forward for both the gay and transgender communities.

https://michiganadvance.com/briefs/michigan-senate-passes-bill-to-ban-gay-panic-defense/

This bill outlawed the archaic, bigoted defense used in criminal cases which allowed a defendant to claim that "partially or completely excuse[d] crimes such as murder and assault on the grounds that the victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity is to blame for the defendant’s violent reaction.”

In other words, no longer can a victim's gender or sexual orientation be used to justify violence against them.

It's hard to believe that such a defense was still allowable, especially since the American Bar Association came out against the existence of such laws back in 2013. But local politics moves slowly, eschewing common sense and decency in exchange for a few more votes from some close-minded constituents.

-- Anni