The Denver Post reports. “We really went from a place where discrimination was legalized in the 1990s to where we are today, where Colorado is a leader.” He described the panic defense as “absurd,” “outdated,” and “insidious.” The defense has been used in attempts to justify assaulting or even killing LGBTQ+ people, but in recent years it has been invoked only rarely in Colorado.A summary of the panic defense bill states that the discovery of a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity, or “an unwanted nonforcible romantic or sexual advance toward the defendant … is irrelevant in a criminal case and does not constitute sudden heat of passion in a criminal case.” If a party in the case wants to claim the information is relevant, they.