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Action Alert!

This page includes actions to take, the email addresses of the Delaware legislators, a how-to on lobbying, and finally, contact info for Delaware's U.S. senators and representative.

Delaware's "Civil Union and Equality Act of 2011" is now in effect and same-gender civil unions can now be created

The Civil Union and Equality Act of 2011 legally recognizes a relationship for same-sex couples that creates all the same duties and benefits that are extended to married couples under Delaware law. The bill took only 23 days to get through the Delaware Legislature, and was passed by a 2-1 margin, reflecting the 2-1 support by Delawareans. Thanks go to the supportive legislators, the governor for supporting and signing it, and to Equality Delaware, which did such thorough groundwork in creating and then working the bill!

Here are those who voted for S.B. 30 and deserve your thanks: Senators Blevins, Bunting, Bushweller, DeLuca, Hall-Long, Henry, Katz, Marshall, McBride, McDowell, Peterson, Sokola, Sorenson; Representatives Barbieri, Bennett, Bolden, Brady, George, Gilligan, Heffernan, Jaques, J. Johnson, Q. Johnson, Keeley, Kowalko, Longhurst, Manolakos, Mitchell, Mulrooney, Osienski, Ramone, Schooley, Schwartzkopf, Scott, B. Short, Viola, Walker, D. E. Williams and D. P. Williams.

Here are those who voted against equality and deserve to be voted outed out of office: Senators Bonini, Booth, Ennis, Lawson, Simpson, Venables; Representatives Atkins, Blakey, Briggs King, Carson, Hocker, Hudson, Kenton, Lavelle, Lee, Miro, Outten, Peterman, D. Short, Willis, and Wilson.

Instructions for obtaining your civil union in Delaware

Delawareans may obtain a civil union license in any of the three counties, no matter which is their residence. (Non-Delawareans may also obtain a Delaware civil union.) See the official instructions for New Castle County, Kent County and Sussex County.
•For the most comprehensive and authoritive information on Delaware civil unions, click on Equality Delaware's and Lambda Legal's fact sheet.
•For info about Delaware civil unions, click on the University of Delaware's LGBT Faculty/Staff Caucus's information sheet.
•Civil union benefits for state employees' families: click for official information.

Emailing your Delaware legislators

Do you want to inform your state senator and representative about any aspect of the gross inequality of LGBT Delawareans?  Here are the e-addresses of your public servants:

Lobbying:  What it is and how to do it

Simply put, lobbying is seeking to influence a legislator or other public figure regarding a particular issue or bill.  Lobbying is tremendously important in Delaware due to Delaware's small size.  Any lobbying effort done here goes a lot further than in more populous states, for with less than 900,000 residents in Delaware, we each can have potentially more personal and direct relationships with our public figures.  

Bridges we can build with governmental decision-makers may be on the basis of political party, employment, business or religion.  That is, do you share their political party, work with them, do business with them, or share their religious affiliation?  Perhaps you are related to them, are neighbors with them, or contributed to them or their political party.  Any of these common areas should be briefly identified when communicating with the lawmakers or other officials.

When visiting with your lawmaker at Legislative Hall in Dover here are some tips:

(a)  Call for an appointment.

(b) Dress the part.  Blue jeans, cut-offs or T-shirts could send a message of disrespect.  Generally accepted office attire is appropriate.

(c)  Take a driver's license or other picture ID to pass security.

(d)  Identify yourself as a constituent of that legislator if you are; if not, identify yourself as a concerned Delawarean.  

(e)  Cite the bill number and where the bill is currently located, i.e., what committee or which chamber has it.  Give your reasons for supporting the bill.

(f)  Be polite no matter how uninformed or bigoted the lawmaker may be.

(g)  Keep focused on the issue.  Do not allow the lawmaker to dwell on unrelated smokescreens, but return to what is germane to the bill.

(h)  Tell the officeholder you will continue to be in dialog with her/him about this bill, and then do so.

When lobbying by phone or by email/post/fax, above items (d) through (h) apply.

Whom should you lobby?  Start with your own representative and senator.  Then contact the committee members of the committee to which the bill is assigned.  Then contact any legislator with whom you have a personal, political, professional or religious connection.  Even those lawmakers who are supportive of your bill or issue should be encouraged in their position, lest they waver.  Legislators' e-addresses are above; other contact information for each member of the General Assembly and other elected officials is at www.delaware.gov.

Remember that if you are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, you are an expert on what it means to live under discrimination in Delaware.  If you do not belong to a sexual minority but are progressive, you will also be able to enlighten some of our officeholders.  Personal experience goes far when lobbying:  tell your story, have it in written form, and leave it with the lawmaker or other official as a handout.   You may want to use the Revised Spiritual Leaders' Statement in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights, or you may want to use other materials.  

In conclusion, we have often seen patient and persistent lobbying and education change minds in the Delaware General Assembly toward the direction of greater equality for the 80,000+ of us Delawareans who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.  Have at it!

Contact Delaware's federal legislators through their official websites:

Sen. Thomas Carper:  carper.senate.gov 

Sen. Christopher Coons: coons.senate.gov 

Rep. John Carney: johncarney.house.gov

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© 2004 through 2012 Mr. Douglas Marshall-Steele