Gov. Bruce Rauner has signed two bills into law that will help LGBTQ people achieve greater equality.

The first eliminates the “gay panic” defense in murder cases, where a defendant claims that the murder victim was homosexual and made a pass at them, making them fear for their safety (or in some cases, their reputation or social standing). As a result, they could claim they were justified in venting their rage or reacting violently in self-defense.

Gay panic or “trans panic” defenses have been utilized in several high-profile murders in recent decades, including those of Matthew Shepard, Brandon Teena, Marco McMillan, Gwen Araujo, and Angie Zapata.

By getting rid of the “gay panic” defense, it means that the legal system in Illinois will no longer implicitly condone the argument that LGBTQ people pose a threat to society or are unworthy of protection by excusing the actions of their murderers.

The second bill Rauner signed into law amends the Illinois Vital Records Act to make it easier for transgender and intersex people to amend the gender marker on their birth certificates to reflect their correct gender identity.

Under the change to the law, a transgender individual will no longer be required to submit a sworn affidavit from a physician who confirms they performed gender confirmation surgery on the individual.

Now, the law only requires that someone seeking to change their gender marker provide a note from a licensed medical or mental health professional attesting to the fact that they are receiving “clinically appropriate” treatment for gender dysphoria or as part of their transition. Read more via Metro Weekly