Greens lawmaker Tammy Franks is campaigning to end the ‘gay panic’ defense in South Australia.

The ‘gay panic’ law can be used to reduce a murder sentence to manslaughter if the defendant proves they were prompted by a same-sex sexual advance.

‘It is an archaic law with dangerous consequences that sends all the wrong messages in the year 2013,’ said Franks, who is a Greens Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) in the state of South Australia.

‘What the existing law does is effectively suggest that homophobia is okay,’ said Franks.

‘It suggests that a non-violent sexual advance directed by one man towards another man, or one woman towards another woman, is somehow deserving of a special defense to murder.’

The Australian states of Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia have abolished the law.

Catholic priest Paul Kelly started a campaign to get rid of the law in Queensland, after the defense was used in a murder that happened in his churchyard.

The previous Labor state government responded to Kelly’s campaign and agreed to change the law. But the Liberal administration who were voted in last year said they wouldn’t go ahead with the change.

‘It depends on the circumstances, each case has to be assessed on its merit,’ said Attorney-General Jarrod Blenijie.

A select committee in the New South Wales parliament released a report examining the partial defense of provocation last week. It recommended for the law to be reformed.