Delaware
Marty Rendon running to replace Schwartzkopf in Delaware House
Gay UNICEF advocate prioritizes affordable housing, transportation, healthcare
Marty Rendon wants to listen to the people.
The former UNICEF Vice President for Public Policy and Advocacy announced Wednesday that he’s running to represent Rehoboth and Dewey Beach in Delaware’s House of Representatives. If he wins, he would replace Peter Schwartzkopf, who represented District 14 for more than two decades — and served as House speaker for 11 years.
Rendon, who’s gay, has spent his career in the halls of power, starting as an intern for U.S. Sen. George McGovern, working behind the scenes for House lawmakers, and working his way up to the vice president level at the United Nations Children’s Fund.
“I think it pays to have somebody who actually knows the ropes,” Rendon said in an interview Tuesday. “[Someone] who knows how to pass a bill, knows how you work with legislators, knows how you work with advocacy groups, knows how you build momentum for a cause and how you go to the halls of the legislature and advocate for something. That’s my specialty.”
Rendon, who currently sits on Delaware’s Human and Civil Rights Commission, lists several priorities on his website, including responding to environmental threats, securing affordable housing, improving transportation, attracting more medical services to the area, supporting schools, helping small businesses, and protecting civil rights. Details on how he plans to achieve the progress he wants are sparse for now. That’s on purpose.
“I think people get tired of not being listened to. I’m hearing that a lot,” he said. “Right now, I really want to listen. I’m not going, ‘I have all the answers and here’s all there is to it.’”
His constituents, he emphasized, rarely have specific policy ideas. They just want someone to listen to their issues and figure out how to solve them.
“I’m not the expert on these things,” he said, and proposed bringing in scholars and advocates for discussions.
Rendon hopes to hit the ground running once elected, working with friends and foes to advance his agenda. It won’t be his first rodeo in negotiations, he emphasized. When the Trump administration pursued its “America First” policy and withdrew from the U.N. Human Rights Council, stopped funding the U.N. Refugee World Agency, and slashed funding to the World Health Organization, Rendon said he worked with Sen. Lindsey Graham’s staff to preserve funding for UNICEF.
“You can’t always just beat up on your friends and ask them to do more. You have to go to people that aren’t your friends,” he told the Blade. “You’ve got to be able to go to them and say, ‘Hey, we need to get this done,’ and then see what the pushback is.”
In negotiations, he wants to use both the carrot and the stick: On priorities like affordable housing, not only requirements for affordable units must exist, but also incentives. Advocacy groups bang the drums of change, he said, and the government must support them financially.
But would that require raising taxes? He’s not sure yet. What’s certain in his mind is that it’s time to find “creative” solutions to funding issues.
Seniority isn’t something on his mind, either. He’s been up and down the legislature advocating for policies as commissioner at the Delaware Human and Civil Rights Commission, he said, so many lawmakers already know him. Plus, he said, he could very well have a similar journey to Rep. Kerri Evelyn Harris, who went from newcomer in the chamber to majority whip in less than a year.
What’s more, Rendon says, he’s not eying a run for anything else.
“This is not a stepping stone for me,” he said. “I’m not using this to run for another office. This is what I want to do.”
Delaware
Wilmington, Del. leaders paint city’s first rainbow crosswalk
Mayor John Carney signs Pride proclamation
Wilmington, Del. city leaders and community members gathered to paint the first rainbow crosswalk in the city on June 24, after Mayor John Carney signed a proclamation to declare June as Pride month.
The crosswalk was painted at the intersection of 6th and Union Streets near Crimson Moon, the only LGBTQ bar in New Castle County.
“This is not just paint on pavement — it’s a statement,” said Mayor Carney. “This crosswalk is a symbol of visibility and belonging. It reflects our promise that Wilmington is a place where everyone, regardless of who they are or who they love, should feel safe, seen, and supported.”
After the signing, the mayor joined At-Large City Council members Latisha Bracy and James Spadola, the Public Works Department, LGBTQ leaders, and community advocates in painting the crosswalk vibrant rainbow colors.
Mayor Carney said Council member Bracy helped “lead the charge” of this initiative in an Instagram post. At the event, Brady said the crosswalk was “a long time coming” and that it had been requested several years ago but did not get done until now.
“There’s nothing more American than letting people be who they are,” Council member Spadola said during the proclamation ceremony.
The Delaware Pride Festival in Dover lost 57% of its corporate funding this year, according to The News Journal, due to backlash over diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Delaware is currently pushing legislation to codify same-sex marriage into the state Constitution. The amendment passed through the Senate on June 10 and is awaiting consideration from the House.
Delaware
Del. governor signs order to protect gender-affirming care
Directive to safeguard personal data of patients, providers
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer signed an executive order to protect gender-affirming care on June 20 at the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center, followed by the first meeting of the newly formed LGBTQ commission, which will work to protect the rights of LGBTQ Delawareans.
Executive Order 11 makes Delaware a shield state for providers of gender-affirming care. It prohibits state agencies from cooperating with investigations, subpoenas, or legal actions by other states against individuals or providers involved in care that is legal in Delaware.
Gender-affirming care refers to a range of medical, psychological, and social services that are designed to support transgender and nonbinary individuals towards aligning their outward characteristics with their gender identity.
“Across the country, people are being punished for seeking or providing gender-affirming care,” said Meyer in a press release. “In Delaware, we cherish privacy, dignity, and the right to make personal medical decisions. Everyone deserves the freedom to access healthcare rooted in science and compassion.”
CAMP Rehoboth Communications Director Matty Brown said the center was “honored” to be the location for the signing. He said the atmosphere was “emotionally charged” and “joyous” with many “tears of joy.”
“CAMP Rehoboth applauds this executive order,” Brown told the Washington Blade. “This is a clear signal to all Delawareans that all are welcome to thrive here … We know that medical care should be between the provider and the patient, so we are so excited to see Gov. Meyer uphold that.”
State Rep. DeShanna Neal spoke at the event and told a story of her fight with the state to get gender-affirming care for her trans daughter.
“I want to thank Gov. Meyer for his actions today and helping me keep a 20-year promise to my daughter and all the families that this fight has helped,” said Neal.
At least 14 other states and D.C. have passed similar protective laws designed to shield providers and patients from laws in states where gender-affirming care is restricted or criminalized.
“Transgender Delawareans and those traveling here for care can now breathe a little easier,” said Cora Castle, chair of the LGBTQ Commission. “This executive order reflects what science and medical experts have made clear for years: gender-affirming care is lifesaving. It also shows what happens when people with lived experience are trusted to help shape policy — we lead with both empathy and evidence. Delaware is proving what it means to protect all its people.”
Milton, Del., will host its Pride Fest this Saturday with the theme “Small Town, Big Heart.” The town’s population of just over 3,000 is in its sixth year hosting Pride.
The event is hosted by Sussex Pride and Milton Theatre and will take place from 4-8 p.m. in the area surrounding the theater. Admission is pay-what-you-can and proceeds will support the Milton Theatre’s education wing campaign, an initiative dedicated to expanding arts education and creating spaces for the next generation of performers and artists.
The musical act schedule includes Goldstar at 4 p.m., Magnolia Applebottom and Friends at 5:30 p.m., and Mama’s Blacksheep at 6:45 p.m. There will be vendors, food trucks, and a Kids Fest with an inflatable obstacle course.
“In our little corner of the world, LOVE leads the way! Milton Pride 2025 is a celebration for EVERYONE — neighbors, families, allies, and friends — because acceptance, kindness, and community belong to us all,” Milton Theatre’s website reads. “Whether you’re here to cheer, learn, or simply feel the joy … you’re welcome exactly as you are. Let’s come together and celebrate Milton, a SMALL TOWN … with a BIG HEART!”
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