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Delaware

Anti-gay hate crime reported in Rehoboth Beach

Six arrested after confronting women, firing Airsoft gun

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(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Rehoboth Beach Police have charged five juveniles and one adult with a hate crime and other offenses after the group allegedly confronted three women on a street and fired an Airsoft gun at them before fleeing. No injuries were reported.

The incident occurred on Saturday, Aug. 17 at 2 a.m. at Baltimore Avenue and Second Street. Three women flagged down an officer after ā€œa vehicle drove past them and then came to stop. Five juveniles exited the vehicle and approached the women, making statements that their behavior in public was not appropriate. During the exchange, one of the juveniles fired an Airsoft gun at the women and all five returned to the vehicle and fled the area,ā€ according to a statement by the Rehoboth Beach Police Department. 

Officers in neighboring Dewey Beach located the vehicle and apprehended the five juveniles and an adult driving the car. 

ā€œOnce in custody, it was determined that the only reason the suspects stopped to confront the victims was due to their perception of the victimsā€™ sexual orientation,ā€ according to police.

All suspects were from Delaware: 

       ā€¢ juvenile age 15 from Rehoboth Beach;

       ā€¢ juvenile age 15 from Blades;

       ā€¢ juvenile age 14 from Rehoboth Beach; 

       ā€¢ juvenile age 14 from Lewes;

       ā€¢ juvenile age 15 from Rehoboth Beach, and 

       ā€¢ Jerome Charleston, 21, of Bridgeville.

All juveniles were charged with the following and released to a parent or guardian:

       ā€¢ Aggravated Menacing X3 Felony

       ā€¢ Offensive Touching X3 Misdemeanor

       ā€¢ Hate Crime X3 Misdemeanor

       ā€¢ Conspiracy in the Third Degree Misdemeanor

       ā€¢ Disorderly Conduct Misdemeanor

Charleston was charged with Disorderly Conduct and ordered to appear at court at a later date.

Airsoft guns are replica guns designed to shoot non-metallic projectiles.

CAMP Rehoboth announced its officials have been in contact with the Rehoboth Beach Police Department and offered support services to those affected.

“The Rehoboth Police Department makes maintaining the public safety of LGBTQ+ people a top priority. For more than 30 years, CAMP Rehoboth has worked closely with local law enforcement providing diversity, equity, and inclusion education and training for their officers on LGBTQ+ issues, as well as providing resources and support to members of the community in times of crisis such as this,” said Executive Director Kim Leisey, PhD.

David Mariner, founder of Sussex Pride, released a statement early Sunday thanking police.

ā€œWe want to thank the Rehoboth Police Department for their quick response to this crime, and for their use of the hate crime statute,ā€ he said. ā€œIt is important to acknowledge the role hate plays, and the impact it has on our community.ā€

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Delaware

Delaware governor issues executive order creating LGBTQ+ Commission

Body to ā€˜strengthen tiesā€™ between government and community

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Delaware Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, center, on Jan. 16, 2025, signed an executive order that created the state's first LGBTQ+ Commission. (Photo courtesy of Sussex Pride)

Delaware Gov. Bethany Hall-Long on Jan. 16 signed and issued an executive order creating a Delaware State LGBTQ+ Commission that she said will hold public forums for the exchange of ideas on the needs of the stateā€™s diverse LGBTQ community.

ā€œThe nine-member commission will serve to strengthen ties between the government and LGBTQ+ organizations,ā€ a statement released by the governorā€™s office says.

The statement adds that the new commission will ā€œhelp remove barriers to societal participation for LGBTQ+ people and improve the delivery of services to the community in Delaware to areas such as employment, equality, education, and mental health.”

It says that members of the commission will be appointed by the governor and serve without monetary compensation for a three-year term.

According to the statement, the commission members ā€œwill represent different facets of the LGBTQ+ community, taking into account age, race, gender, identity, background, life experiences and other factors, and reflect the geographic diversity of the state.ā€

Hall-Long’s executive order creating the new commission came at a time when she is serving in effect as interim governor for a period of just two weeks. As lieutenant governor, she became governor on Jan. 7 when outgoing Gov. John Carney resigned to take office in his newly elected position of mayor of Wilmington.

Carney, who served two terms as governor, could not run again for that position under Delawareā€™s term limit law. Democrat Matt Myer won the governorā€™s election in November and will be sworn in as Delawareā€™s next governor on Jan. 21, when Hall-Long will step down.

Myer was expected to appoint the commission members in the weeks following his assumption of gubernatorial duties.

ā€œUltimately, the commission will advise the governor, members of the governorā€™s Cabinet, members of the General Assembly, and other policymakers on the effect of agency policies, procedures, practices, laws, and administrative rules on the unique challenges and needs of LGBTQ+ people,ā€  the statement released by Hall-Longā€™s office says.

ā€œIt is truly an honor to bring this commission to fruition, and I am very excited to see the positive changes the commission will make in the lives of our LGBTQ+ neighbors,ā€ Hall-Long said in the statement.

David Mariner, executive director of Sussex Pride, an LGBTQ advocacy group based in Delawareā€™s Sussex County, which includes Rehoboth Beach, praised the new executive order as an important step in advancing LGBTQ equality.

ā€œIt is my hope that through this commission, we can address the critical issues facing LGBTQ Delawareans,ā€ Mariner said in his own statement.

ā€œThis includes developing an LGBTQ health report with a tangible roadmap to health equity, increasing collaboration and communication on hate crimes and hate-related activities, and ensuring that nondiscrimination protections, guaranteed by law, are a reality for all of our residents,ā€ he said.

The statement announcing the LGBTQ+ Commission and the full text of the executive order can be accessed here. 

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Delaware

Delaware advocacy group to host panel on mediaā€™s role in countering hate

Blade editor among journalists participating in Wednesday event

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Blade editor Kevin Naff is among journalists participating in a panel discussion on hate this week.

LEWES, Del. ā€” Speak Out Against Hate (SOAH) will hold its bi-monthly community meeting at 5 p.m. on Nov. 13 at the Lewes Library and via Zoom. The meeting will concentrate on the role of the press in responding to the divisiveness and rising tide of hatred in our country and communities.Ā 

The meeting will feature a panel of journalists comprised of Chris Rauch, owner and publisher of the Cape Gazette; Benjamin Rothstein, journalist at the Daily State News and its sister paper the Greater Dover Independent; Kevin Naff, editor and co-owner of the Washington Blade; and Jake Owens, editor-in-chief of Spotlight Delaware.

Patty Maloney, president of SOAH said, ā€œFollowing a national and state elections that saw our country nearly evenly divided, this important discussion with our local press will shine a light upon the role of the press locally and nationally in confronting the obvious chasm within our citizenry.ā€

For more information about the event and to register, please visit Speak Out Against Hate at soah-de.org.

Speak Out Against Hate was formed to confront and counter the rising tide of hate, whenever and wherever it exists.

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Delaware

Comings & Goings

Owners win top honors from Delaware Restaurant Association

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Bob Suppies, David Gonce, Tyler Townsend, and Lion Gardner of Second Street Hospitality.

The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected].Ā 

The Comings & Goings column also invites LGBTQ college students to share their successes with us. If you have been elected to a student government position, gotten an exciting internship, or are graduating and beginning your career with a great job, let us know so we can share your success.Ā 

Congratulations to Second Block Hospitality, winners of the Delaware Restaurant Associationā€™s designation as Restaurateurs of the Year. This award was won by business partners Lion Gardner, David Gonce, Tyler Townsend, and Bob Suppies, whose Second Block Hospitality restaurants include Bodhi Kitchen, The Pines, and Drift, all in Rehoboth Beach, Del.

ā€œThe partners of Second Block Hospitality, each bring unique expertise from diverse business backgrounds, and have successfully united to create a flourishing restaurant group in downtown Rehoboth Beach. Their first venture, The Pines, was inspired by the rich history and hospitality of old Rehoboth Beach, where pine trees meet the ocean. Their newest ventures, Drift Seafood & Raw Bar, and Bodhi Kitchen, showcase sophisticated seafood and Asian-inspired street food, earning awards, accolades, and features in top regional publications. Driven by a mission of hospitality, innovation, and community, the team exemplifies the qualities honored by the Restaurateurs of the Year Award, celebrating their passion, diversity, and creativity in Delawareā€™s dining scene.ā€

Townsend said, ā€œThe entire team at Second Block Hospitality is thrilled to have won Restaurateurs of the Year. Since 2018, we have worked hard to bring the very best in dining, cocktails, entertainment, and dĆ©cor.ā€ 

Suppies added, ā€œYes, winning this award truly validates we are on the right path to keep bringing innovative design paired with amazing food and drinks. More is coming from Second Block for sure.ā€

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