Senate committee approves repealing state law that targets LGBT community

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - A bill to repeal a state law some argue targets the LGBT community was unanimously passed out of a Senate committee on Tuesday. It’s known as the “crime against nature by solicitation”. To put it simply, it’s talking about prostitution by gay men. Prostitution is already illegal, but this law separated the two with different penalties.

Sen. Royce Duplessis (D-New Orleans) says the 1982 law staying on the books unnecessary.

“That law was primarily used to criminalize sex acts committed by men,” said Sen. Duplessis to the committee.

The state also classified the law as a registerable felony sex offense, while prostitution remained a misdemeanor. Louisiana eventually recognized the two acts as the same in 2011, while a federal judge simultaneously ruled separating the two was unconstitutional.

The proposal on Tuesday basically looked to update the statute Louisiana has on the books to make it clear how the state recognizes the crime today. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously agreed to move the bill forward. But another proposal was attached with it to allow those previously convicted to have the courts revisit their case and repeal the offense on their record.

“The 2011 law that passed by the Louisiana legislature, it didn’t give a process where those previous felonies could be fully vacated, it was a partial process,” Sen. Duplessis explained.

However, the committee was not fully on board with this one. One group, who did not show up to speak, submitted a card in opposition and it was enough to sway the votes of some on the committee.

“Because they were guilty of prostitution and they were found guilty of prostitution whether its regular or this kind {...} But anyway that’s my concern,” said Sen. Jay Morris (R-West Monroe).

To avoid having his second proposal voted down, Duplessis deferred it until next week to give the group who opposed it a chance to come in and explain why they are against it.

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