Week of 6/1: Pride Month
This was one of the first photos Steve and I took on the campaign trail. We have always felt love from our neighbors in Forty Acres!
Friends,
Today begins Pride Month. Pride is a time to celebrate the impact of LGBTQ+ people. It’s a time to honor those who fought for us, and those who continue to fight for equality. It’s a time to acknowledge those who had to hide who they are, and remember those who died for living their truth. Our history is wrought with violence born from misunderstanding, but marches on with increasing love and acceptance.
On June 28th, 1969, police officers raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay establishment on Christopher Street in NYC’s Greenwich Village. This was a routine endeavor. They would arrest drag queens and rough up transgender and non-conforming people for wearing different clothing. They would solicit bribes from business owners, because at the time it was illegal to serve alcohol to gay people. That day, however, they got more than they bargained for. Calls of police brutality led to over a week of rioting involving thousands of protestors and sparked the modern gay rights movement.
That movement has seen victory and setbacks. In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from their list of mental disorders. In the 1980’s, Reagan’s intentional neglect allowed the gay community to be decimated by HIV/AIDS. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell began in 1993. Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, which banned gay marriage. In 2003, Lawrence v. Texas declared sodomy laws unconstitutional. In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay marriage. In 2009, the Matthew Shepard Act expanded the Federal Hate Crime Law to include crimes motivated by gender and sexual orientation. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is repealed in 2010, allowing gay people to serve openly in the military. In 2015, Obergefell v. Hodges declared same-sex marriage legal nationwide.
I have so much respect for Sarah McBride. And I am so proud of Delaware for sending her to Congress. You inspire us all Sarah, and we will always have your back.
Delawareans have shown courage in the fight for gay rights. In 2013, Karen Peterson made national news when she came out as lesbian during the General Assembly’s debate on same-sex marriage, becoming our state’s first openly LGBT lawmaker. She married her wife Vikki on July 1st, 2013, the first gay couple in Delaware to do so. In a 2012 interview, Joe Biden endorsed same-sex marriage, which is credited with forcing President Obama to do the same. Ten years later, Biden repealed DOMA by signing the Respect for Marriage Act. In 2025, Delaware elected Sarah McBride to be the nation’s first transgender member of Congress. She’s awesome, by the way.
Through it all, our community continues its fight for equality, inclusion, and acceptance. Two weeks ago, I was honored to receive the Delaware Stonewall PAC endorsement. The endorsement event was filled with love and hope for our future, but with recognition that a new storm threatens our community.
I am so honored to receive the Delaware Stonewall PAC endorsement — my first endorsement of the campaign. I will work hard to advance the needs of our LGBTQ+ community!
Today, our LGBTQ+ community is under fire. Transgender people are again banned from serving in the military. HIV/AIDS prevention funding has been slashed. And in state legislatures across the country, more anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been passed than ever before. Gender-affirming care banned. Educators banned from teaching our history. Students forcibly outed by schools and healthcare facilities. More bathroom bans.
Photo 1: I got to catch up with Kristine Read, who chairs the DelDems PRIDE Caucus. | Photo 2: I’m here with Stephan Browne-Blackman, the newest board member for the Delaware Stonewall PAC. A stunning pashmina; an amazing advocate and community leader. | Photo 3: And I got the chance to meet Leslie Ledogar, the new president of Delaware Stonewall PAC. I look forward to working with you!
And let’s be clear why it’s happening. Our community is being used as a scapegoat by powerful people. By turning us into a bogeyman, we become distracted from their continued theft and unending greed. As your voice in government, I would not let that happen. Join me on the frontlines – we have work to do.
Until next time,
Dr. Rob Bahnsen
Candidate for State Representative, District 12