Delaware
GOP candidate in Del. House race expresses LGBTQ support
Simpler says trans residents deserve protection from discrimination
Early voting is underway in Delaware and one race that has captivated the LGBTQ community is the 14th District House seat being vacated by longtime ally Pete Schwartzkopf. Claire Snyder-Hall, a lesbian, won the Democratic primary and faces Republican Mike Simpler. But Simpler says the LGBTQ community shouldn’t discount him simply because he’s a Republican.
“I was kind of upset that they would even think of me being a Republican, that I would discriminate against the LGBTQ community in general,” Simpler told the Blade. “It’s kind of upsetting knowing that I’m born and raised here, and I’ve had family members that way. I mean the treasurer of my campaign is a lesbian. It’s just upsetting that people feel that way about the gay community in general.”
Simpler, a lifelong resident of Sussex County and the current president of the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company said that his experience in the role has allowed him to work alongside many different types of people, including members of the LGBTQ community.
“We probably have the most diverse fire company in the state of Delaware, when it comes to the LGBTQ group,” he said. “People need to realize that the LGBTQ [community] is no different than the rest of the people in the world.”
Simpler also shared with the Blade that he has had firsthand experience with a unique aspect of LGBTQ culture — drag. He dressed up in drag at a fundraiser held at The Pines, a popular gay venue in Rehoboth Beach.
“I was asked to volunteer for a fundraiser, and next thing you know, I find out I’m going to be in drag at The Pines,” Simpler said. “We had a ball! I mean, I had so much fun.”
Not only did Simpler definitively say he supports the LGBTQ community in Delaware, but he added he supports legislative protections for these communities. He pointed out that providing a safe space for marginalized communities is ingrained in American history.
“Protect them,” he said when asked about the potential of supporting pro-transgender legislation amid a wave of anti-LGBTQ state legislation being passed nationwide. “You’ve got to. They’re trying to escape. For example, they’re trying to escape the process like the Jews did, like the Chinese when they came here. They’re trying to move away from an issue where they’re being prosecuted against to somewhere where they can be free and enjoy their life that they want to live.”
In addition to promising LGBTQ support, Simpler says he backs smarter growth in the region by prioritizing better development and efforts to alleviate traffic. He also pledges to attract high-quality jobs to the region.
Simpler faces Synder-Hall in the Nov. 5 general election. Read the Blade’s profile of her, here: https://www.washingtonblade.com/2024/09/24/claire-snyder-hall-interview/
Early voting is already underway.
Delaware
Delaware hosts LGBTQ flag raising ceremony
Gov. Matt Meyer declares June 2025 as Pride month
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer hosted a flag raising ceremony and presented a proclamation marking June 2025 as Pride month on Tuesday.
The public event took place at 11 a.m. at Legislative Hall in Dover.
“For many, many years of our state’s history, coming out here and doing what we’re doing today would have been just about unimaginable,” Meyer said at the event. “Today, this is a symbol of all of the progress that we have all made together.”
Lieutenant Gov. Kyle Evans Gay, Sens. Dan Cruce, Russ Huxtable, and Marie Pinkney, Reps. Eric Morrison, Deshanna Neal, and Claire Snyder-Hall, and LGBTQ+ Commission Chair Cora Castle and Vice Chair Vienna Cavazos were in attendance, among others.
Last week, Meyer announced the members of a new LGBTQ+ commission, which will work with the state government to improve services in areas such as employment, equality, education, mental health, social services, health, and housing.
As Pride month continues, Delaware is currently considering an amendment to codify same-sex marriage in its Constitution.
“Today is about making history and raising this flag,” said Lt. Gov. Gay at the event. “Today is about charting a new course forward with our new commission and today is about marking how far we’ve come.”
Delaware
Delaware Gov. Meyer announces LGBTQ commission
Nine members appointed to work to protect rights of residents
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer announced the members of a new LGBTQ commission on the first day of Pride month.
The members include representatives from all three counties: Chair Cora Castle, Dwayne Bensing, Noah Duckett, and Mark Purpura of New Castle County; Vice Chair Vienna Cavazos, Leslie Ledogar, and John Kane of Sussex County; and Daniel Lopez of Kent County. They will serve three-year terms without monetary compensation.
The commission was created by an executive order from previous Gov. Bethany Hall-Long in January. It will work to “strengthen ties between the government and LGBTQ+ organizations, help remove barriers to societal participation for LGBTQ+ people and improve the delivery of services to the community in Delaware in areas such as employment, equality, education, mental health, social services, health, and housing.
“The commission will advise the governor, the governor’s Cabinet, the General Assembly, and other policymakers on the effects of policies and laws on the “unique challenges and needs of LGBTQ+ people.”
Commission Chair Cora Castle is president of OmniPotential Energy Partners, executive director of the Delaware Sustainable Chemistry Alliance, secretary of Sierra Club Delaware, and the vice chair of the New Castle County Board of Adjustment. She said it is “extremely humbling” to be included in this group of people.
“Having the opportunity to serve and be out here and help Gov. Meyer and help everybody across the state is again just so humbling,” Castle told the Washington Blade. “I love doing work on policy, I love having the opportunity to lead and this is something where I think I can make a difference and I think that my voice matters.”
Castle said it’s important that everyone understands that the commission is here to serve all of Delaware.
Vienna Cavazos is the commission’s vice-chair and youngest member at 19. They moved to Delaware from Texas in 2022 and have a background in youth advocacy and organizing.
“I am beyond grateful to have been asked to serve not only this governor but this state,” Cavazos said. “I appreciate the work that has been done in years prior and I’m excited to do the work that we need to do to bring us back to the 21st century.”
Leslie Ledogar, board president of CAMP Rehoboth, is also a member of the commission. She said it is a “huge honor” to be included.
“I believe that the commission will be a safe space in which we can discuss those issues and make sure that, in Delaware, we are not erased,” Ledogar said. “We do still have power at the state level, notwithstanding federal actions in the opposite and very very disturbing and dangerous direction.”
The commission will begin meeting soon. A major topic will be developing policies to protect health care for LGBTQ Delawareans.
“This commission will be critical as we work to protect the rights of all Delawareans, and I want to thank each of these individuals for their willingness to serve,” Gov. Meyer wrote in a Facebook post. “Together, we will ensure Delaware remains a welcoming state and a beacon of hope to all LGBTQ+ Americans.”
Delaware
Delaware Pride Festival returns this Saturday
28th annual festival boasts activities for all in Dover
The 28th annual Delaware Pride Festival is back this weekend in the capital city of Dover.
The Saturday event will take place from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on the Legislative Green outside of the state capitol building in Dover. The festival is hosted by drag queen Scarlet Masters.
The schedule includes a policy panel with State Representatives Eric Morrison and DeShanna Neal, a performance from the Rainbow Chorale of Delaware, and drag shows. There will also be food vendors, a kids zone, beer garden, and 21+ after party.
“Pride season is a riot, a time to advocate, and a time to remember those that came before us to take us as far as we are today, especially our trans and BIPOC siblings,” wrote Delaware Pride President Zach Workman in a letter on its website. “Always remember that when one member of our community is under attack, we come together to support them. We remember the sacrifices of our ancestors in order to fuel our push into the future. We are here, we have always been here, and we will be here for the future to come no matter how many times others try to erase us … This festival is a testament to the strength of queer Delawareans as it has stood the test of time over the last 28 iterations, becoming a lasting tradition.”
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