Town halls in Wilmington, Rehoboth push marriage bill

Rehoboth Beach, Del. (Washington Blade file photo by Joey DiGuglielmo)

The statewide LGBT advocacy group Equality Delaware sponsored town hall meetings Wednesday and Thursday night in Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach to help mobilize supporters for a campaign to persuade the Delaware legislature to pass a same-sex marriage bill this year, according to the group’s president, Lisa Goodman.

“The purpose is to talk to our allies and the community about marriage equality in 2013 for Delaware and to get people involved in the effort,” Goodman told the Blade

“We anticipate a bill in both houses in the 2013 legislative session,” which lasts from January to June 30, she said. “We have support across the board of the leadership of both houses and the governor.”

Goodman added, “We are confident that when we bring the bill to the floor we will have the votes needed. But there is a lot of work to be done.”

The Rehoboth Beach town hall was scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, at the Camp Rehoboth meeting hall at 37 Baltimore Avenue.

Goodman said Equality Delaware is encouraging LGBT Delaware residents and their supporters to sign an online petition in support of the marriage equality bill on the group’s website, www.equalitydelaware.org.