Accusations of bigotry marked final passage of a human rights bill Thursday.
The Vermont House gave initial approval Wednesday to H.128, which would prohibit people from using a legal strategy known as the “gay panic defense,” in which a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity could be used as the justification for a defendant’s violent actions, including murder.
The bill passed on a voice vote, but there were several nays, including from Republican Reps. Art Peterson, R-Clarendon, and Carl Rosenquist, R-Georgia.
Rep. Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, P/D-Burlington, called for a vote count, and the tally was 120-3 in favor of the bill.
Moments after the vote Wednesday, a new member of the Legislature, Rep. Paul Martin, R-Franklin, privately admonished members of the Republican caucus who opposed the bill.
“I just wanted it to be known that I am absolutely disgusted with the nay votes on H.128,” Martin wrote in an email Wednesday. “As a member of the LGBT community, I feel you voted in favor of someone using the excuse of me being gay to kill me.”
Martin said people who voted against the legislation “are the true definition of a BIGOT.”
“I don’t need any responses telling me this is unprofessional because, frankly, I don’t give a shit. I am ashamed to be associated with you three who voted nay. I am incredibly hurt,” he said.
On Thursday, the legislation passed on a roll call vote of 144-1. Two Republicans and two Democrats were absent.
The lone vote against the measure was cast by Rep. Rodney Graham, R-Williamstown.
Graham told VTDigger that he opposed the legislation because he did not feel it was necessary; in his view, the state’s hate crime statute already covers the issue.
“To me, it was just a feel-good bill,” he said.
Graham opposed the legislation because he said “these people, whether it’s this group, whether it’s Black Lives Matter,” are asking for “special privileges.”
“I don’t treat anybody different, but they keep claiming they want to be treated equal but they want special privileges, and we’ll never be able to be equal as long as we give in to those people and give them special privileges,” Graham said.
As the numbers were being tallied on the virtual House floor Thursday, Rep. Brian Smith, R-Derby, tried to use his vote explanation to shame Martin. Smith voted in favor of the measure.
“I received an email from a newly elected member this morning. There was some foul language in it that accused me of not voting the way he liked,” Smith said.
As he tried to find the email to read it aloud to House members, the speaker ruled that he had failed to explain his vote and moved on.
Martin said he was not ashamed of the email. The overwhelming response from Republican colleagues was positive.
“It may be slightly unprofessional but at the end of the day we’re all real people and I spoke to them like real people and passionately,” he said.
Martin said he had a long conversation with Peterson about the bill. Ultimately, Peterson changed his vote and supported the legislation.
Rosenquist also switched his vote and supported the legislation.
“I’m not a part of this caucus to come in here and tell every Republican how to vote, but I’m here as a gay person,” Martin said. “I really believe that this was a nonpartisan bill, a human rights bill, and I feel very accomplished in bringing some light to it in this caucus.”
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