Unbelievably, despite it being 2016, both South Australia and Queensland still have the "gay panic" laws on their books. Basically the law says that if a straight person panics because a gay person came onto him/flirted with them, and the straight person killed the person in said panic, then that murder is OK.
I can't believe the laws were even on the books in the first place.
*Petition here if you haven't already signed it.
I’m a Catholic Priest and 8 years ago a man called Wayne Ruks was bashed to death in my Brisbane churchyard. Unbelievably, his killer's convictions were downgraded to manslaughter, using “gay panic” as a defence.
It’s disgusting - this law is still valid in both QLD and South Australia. In these two Australian states, if someone who you think is gay makes a pass at you, the sheer panic you could feel is partial justification for murder.
I’ve made it my mission to see this revolting law abolished - it belongs in the dark ages. I have no words to describe how offensive, harmful and dangerous it is that two of our governments uphold that a person can be panicked enough by gay people to justify murder.
That’s why I am calling on the Queensland and South Australia to eliminate this "gay panic" law as a partial defence for murder. sign here
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