Maryland forms a commission that is designed to address LGBTQ issues, a court in Missouri blocks protections for LGBTQ students, and Michigan bans the gay and trans panic defense in criminal cases.
Commission Formed to Address LGBTQ Issues
A new commission in Maryland will advise the mayor, City Council and city agencies about policy decisions that affect the city’s LGBTQ communities, according to WBAL-TV 11 News.
The commission, composed of three volunteers, will work to connect the city’s LGBTQ communities with the broader Baltimore community through long-range projects.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said the commission will keep the city accountable in ensuring it is “consistently highlighting issues and make sure the city government is working in the best interest of the members of the community.”
The commission will ensure city agencies fairly address issues impacting Baltimore’s LGBTQ community while certifying those individuals have equitable access to city services.
Court Blocks Title IX Protections for LGBTQ Students
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A federal judge in St. Louis halted implementation of a new rule from the Biden administration that extended Title IX protections to LGBTQ students, according to the Missouri Independent.
The ruling arose from a May 7 lawsuit filed by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin alongside the attorney generals of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.
The non-discrimination rule was set to take effect Aug. 1. Now, the recent decision halts implementation of the rule until the lawsuit is resolved.
The rule protects all students from discrimination based on sex in educational activities and programs.
However, opponents of the rule are against how it protects transgender athletes.
Gay, Trans Panic Defense in Criminal Cases Banned
Laurie Pohutsky. Photo via @lpohutsky19, X.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation to clarify that an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity cannot be used as evidence in a defense for a crime committed against them.
According to the Detroit Free Press, State Rep. Laurie Pohutsky, a sponsor of the bill, said this achievement gives queer communities more safety.
“Now that this legislation is law, members of our queer communities are even safer, and their freedoms even more secure,” Pohutsky said.
House Bill 4718 states, "Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law of this state, an individual is not justified in using force against another individual based on the discovery of, knowledge about, or potential disclosure of the victim’s actual or perceived sex, gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation.”
LGBTQ advocates had been fighting for a ban on gay and trans panic defense, stating that some laws have implied that “LGBT lives are worth less than others.”
Michigan is now the 20th state to ban LGBTQ “panic defense” in criminal cases.
