Archive of Delaware's LGBT History

Archive of Delaware's

LGBT History

This page features documents used in prior years in the march toward equality. Below them are visual recollections.

Whereas previous legislation had dealt with "sodomy" penalties and the banning of gay marriage, the May 14, 1996 Domestic Partnerships Act (House Bill 578) was the first bill in Delaware history to positively seek same-gender civil rights. It would have created same-gender domestic partnerships, the only specified rights of which were visitation privileges in health care facilities and prisons. With only one sponsor, the bill was stricken.
A Delaware Department of Labor letter demonstrating strong need for sexual orientation antidiscrimination legislation, Feb. 8, 1999: click here.
A listing of public interest groups which supported sexual orientation antidiscrimination House Bill 99, 2001-2004: click here.
The Original Spiritual Leaders' Statement affirming lesbian/gay/bisexual civil rights, 2001-2009: click here.

The first second-parent adoption by a gay family in Delaware occured on June 27, 2001, when Delaware Family Court in New Castle County awarded two boys, ages one and six, to an anonymous male couple. Chief Judge Vincent J. Poppiti found this in the best interests of the children, who had been born premature and cocaine-addicted, but thrived under the loving care of the men, who had been partnered for 22 years. Access the court opinion.
A Hickman-Brown Public Opinion Research poll finding strong support in Delaware for sexual orientation antidiscrimination legislation, May 9, 2002: click here.
Wilmington Mayor James Baker's endorsement of sexual orientation antidiscrimination House Bill 99, May 15, 2003: click here.
The Governmental Leaders' Statement affirming sexual orientation equality, 2004-2009: click here.
The Episcopal Diocese of Delaware passed a resolution in support of Delaware's sexual orientation antidiscrimination House Bill 5, March 27-28, 2009: click here.
Then-high-school-senior Timothy McBride on March 31, 2009 created this Petitionspot online petition supporting sexual orientation antidiscrimination House Bill 5—and asking for an amendment to protect transgenders also.
This petition at Care2 Petitionsite, started October 15, 2009, called for legalizing same-gender marriage in Delaware.
This petition at Change.org to the Governor and Delaware Legislature, begun early March 2011, called for the passage of S.B. 30, the civil unions bill.
A statewide poll of 700 likely Delaware voters found 2-to-1 support for civil unions. See the March 15, 2011 media release.

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The June 24, 2009 Delaware Senate debate about sexual orientation antidiscrimination Senate Bill 121 included more than three hours of extremely inane and insulting testimony by our opposition. After all of Sen. Venables' anti-gay amendments were voted down, the bill passed in the Senate and was sent to the House. Meanwhile, Attorney Deborah Gottschalk, a spectator, decided reluctantly that her 8-year-old son was so tired he should be taken home before the House reconvened. She said, "We were stopped at the Burger King on Rt. 13 at 8:10 p.m., when my son saw this rainbow [below, click on the photos to enlarge]. We watched it arc across the road and pointing to Legislative Hall as the House was voting down amendments and passing the bill." Another person stepped out of Legislative Hall, saw the rainbow overhead, and also took photos. Though cloudy, there had been and would be no rain that day. As someone later noted, "It seems the Lord chose a prominent gay symbol to indicate that those who were using the Bible to bash gay people all afternoon were not speaking for Him. It's easy to manipulate the Bible but not so easy to manipulate a rainbow."

	After the Delaware Senate had passed it 13 to 6 on April 7, 2011, the Delaware House passed the Civil Union and Equality Act of 2011 by 26 to 15 on April 14, 2011. But before passage, there were no fewer than nine hostile House amendments—which Rep. Melanie George systematically and thoroughly refuted.
		Concerning the spontaneous cheering and prolonged standing ovation—with shouts of "Thank you! Thank you!"—when the bill was passed, Speaker of the House Robert Gilligan said, "I have been around here for 39 years and I have never seen anything like it."