The Delaware Human and Civil Rights Commission voted to fine Hideout Arcade Bar & Grille $15,000 last month due to a discrimination complaint filed by a trans woman over her use of the bathroom. 

Katie Sorber, a transgender woman, said that on April 5, 2023, she was stopped by employees and told she could only use the men’s bathroom due to the “male” gender marker on her driver’s license. This occurred after Sorber presented her ID upon entering the bar and ordering a drink. 

Sorber took to Facebook to complain about her experience at the bar after she was told to use the men’s bathroom. 

On April 12, 2023, Sorber returned to the Hideout but was barred from entering due to her post on social media. 

Following Sorber’s post, Bryan Derrickson, the owner of Hideout Arcade Bar & Grille, allegedly began enforcing a policy in which patrons had to use the bathroom that corresponded to the gender marker on their ID.

Derrickson was ordered to pay $10,000 to Sorber, $5,000 to the Special Administration Fund, as well as conduct anti-discrimination training with employees, remove the ban on Sorber from the establishment, and revise the bar’s bathroom policy. 

The commission ruled that the bar and Derrickson had wrongfully discriminated against Sorber on the basis of her gender. 

Derrickson’s explanations for the denial included safety concerns, a third-party patron complaint, and a reference to the health code. The panel found this to be inconsistent and lacking factual support upon cross-examination.

The case was evaluated under the Delaware Equal Accommodations Law, which explicitly prohibits discrimination and retaliation in places of public accommodation based on gender identity.

This was the second time that the bar has been fined for discriminating against a transgender woman. The bar received a $2,000 penalty in September of last year for denying a transgender woman entry in 2023. 

Half of the fine went to Kathy Carpenter Brown, the trans woman who experienced the discrimination. Brown is the founder of TransLiance, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group in Delaware. 

Democrat Maureen “Mo” Madden is running for the Delaware House of Representatives in the 38th District, seeking to win a seat that has been held by Republicans for more than two decades.

The race opened up after Republican state Rep. Ron Gray announced in April that he would not seek reelection after seven terms in the General Assembly. 

Gray was first elected in 2012 and represents communities including Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island, Selbyville and Ocean View. Madden, a Dagsboro resident, filed to run for the seat in 2025.

Madden is a retired federal civil servant who spent nearly 23 years at NASA and more than seven years at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She holds a master’s degree in physics and previously worked in leadership at NOAA.

She said her professional experience taught her the importance of working collaboratively, something she believes would translate to the legislature.

“Advocating, negotiating, and collaborating are all skills that a legislator needs,” she said. “You learn to collaborate. You learn to negotiate. You learn to advocate for your budget, for your team, and for your projects.” 

Madden said her decision to run began after she and her wife moved to the area and she noticed the lack of Democratic candidates on the ballot in her district.

“Somebody’s got to do it, and I’ve got time. I’m retired,” said Madden.

She acknowledged the difficulty of running as a Democrat in the district, which has been represented by Republicans since 2002.

Madden said one of the biggest concerns she hears from residents is the rapid growth of Sussex County.

“We have a massive amount of growth and a massive amount of development,” said Madden.

Madden said the growth has placed additional pressure on roads, schools, emergency services, as well as water and sewer infrastructure.

“We need to find a way to bring more money down here for the school system and for the infrastructure that we need,” she said.

She also raised concerns about the impact of new developments on existing neighborhoods, particularly in regard to flooding and drainage.

“Something needs to be done,” said Madden.

Madden also pointed to climate change as a factor affecting the region.She said the state will need to work on both addressing development and preparing communities for increasingly severe weather.

“We have to work both sides of it,” Madden said.

Madden said improving infrastructure would be a priority if she is elected, particularly roads and other infrastructure that affect residents’ daily lives.

“I want to increase the safety of my neighbors,” she said.

Madden also said she wants to address infrastructure needs related to water and sewer service, as well as the availability of health care in the rapidly growing coastal region.

Madden said protecting voting rights would be another priority in the legislature.

“The right to vote is one of the biggest things that we have here in a democracy,” she said.

She said that she supports early voting, mail-in voting, and same-day registration, as well as restoring voting rights to people who have completed felony sentences.

“You should not lose a constitutional right because you’ve been in jail,” said Madden.

“Protecting the right to vote is how I will defend democracy when I get to the state House,” she said.

Madden said she would also support efforts to enshrine certain rights in the Delaware Constitution, including reproductive rights, voting rights, and the right to marriage.

“Those three protections of our freedoms that are right now under attack need to be more secure in the Delaware State Constitution,” she said.

As an openly lesbian candidate, Madden said LGBTQ+ rights are important to her, particularly the treatment of young transgender people.

She said she is concerned about efforts to restrict transgender students’ participation in sports and other policies affecting transgender people.

“They are picking on the most vulnerable of the most vulnerable,” said Madden.

She said she hopes voters will view LGBTQ+ people as part of their communities rather than as fundamentally different from their neighbors.

“We’re your neighbors. We’re your friends. We’re your family,” she said.

Madden will face Republican Carlie Carey in the general election on Nov. 3. 

During Pride month this year, the Delaware Sexuality and Gender Collective (DSGC) announced plans for The Collective, which will become Delaware’s first LGBTQIA+ visitor center and Wilmington’s first dedicated LGBTQIA+ space in nearly 40 years.

“We’ve been talking about the concept of a brick-and-mortar space for a long time,” said Noah Duckett, co-founder of DSGC.

A licensed clinical social worker, Duckett co-founded DSGC with his mother, Julissa Coriano, in 2018. DSGC is an independent nonprofit organization that provides vital clinical and educational support, social programming and direct-need support to the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Some of the programs DSGC offers include a free clothing closet for the trans community, meal support for people recovering from gender-affirming surgery, connections to pro bono legal services, a biannual Pride Market featuring over 100 LGBTQIA+-owned small businesses, and more. 

“Our vision for The Collective is a place where our community can come to learn, create, work and be inspired,” said Coriano.

The Collective will feature a visitor center and gift shop highlighting LGBTQIA+-owned businesses in Delaware.

“I think that this is something that’s going to benefit our community so much,” said Duckett.

Some of the LGBTQIA+-owned businesses that DSGC has already partnered with include Stress Induced Art Attack, Moonbeam Art Collaborative, Voce Coffee, Groovy Gemini Co., Scout Cafe, Macaron Social and Huxley and Hiro.

“Specifically in Wilmington, we haven’t had an LGBTQIA+-dedicated space in almost 40 years,” said Duckett.

The Griffin Community Center, which operated from 1986 to 1990, was Delaware’s first LGBTQ+ community center. The Griffin was founded by Ivo Dominguez Jr. and James C. Welch and provided a range of community services during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis, including AIDS hotlines, organizational offices and meeting space. The center ultimately closed because of a lack of financial support.

Duckett said DSGC hopes The Collective will carry on The Griffin’s legacy while building a sustainable space for the LGBTQIA+ community.

“I think now more than ever, there’s more and more spaces closing their doors. More and more spaces are losing funding, seeing reduced funding and reduced access, especially LGBTQ+ organizations and communities,” said Duckett.

The Collective will also feature Delaware’s first LGBTQ+ history museum, curated by LGBTQ+ historian Carolanne Deal.

“We don’t have any permanent displays in the state about Delaware’s queer history, and we want people to be able to access that history any day of the year, not just during Pride Month,” said Deal.

With a master’s degree in art history for museum professionals, Deal has more than seven years of experience in curatorial work and hands-on collections care.

“It’s mainly going to be a graphic display with photographs, articles and accessible text that draws people in and creates a story for the community,” said Deal.

Although the museum will not initially have an object collection, Deal said she hopes to add physical archival pieces in the future.

“Delaware has been at the forefront of a lot of queer civil rights, and it’ll be really amazing to have that enshrined in a permanent display that’s not only up for Pride Month,” said Deal.

Duckett said DSGC is currently raising funds with the goal of beginning construction this summer and opening by the end of the year. 

Duckett told the Blade that fundraising efforts have reached just under $29,000 and that the organization is awaiting several major donations from community partner organizations.

However, he said DSGC continues to be denied many grants tied to federal or state funding because of restrictions on those funds being used for LGBTQ+-serving organizations.

“Private and corporate donations are absolutely vital,” said Duckett.

Anyone interested in supporting the construction and renovation of The Collective can donate online or contact [email protected] for more information.ose funds being used for LGBTQ-serving organizations.

“Private and corporate donations are absolutely vital,” said Duckett.

Anyone interested in supporting the construction of The Collective can donate online or contact [email protected] for more information.