All LGBTQ+ Stories
Delawareans
Hear more about the personal experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals who called Delaware home and the impact they had on both local and national history.
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Louisa Carpenter
Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach, DE
An equestrian, socialite, and amateur aviatrix who endured a dramatic lesbian love life.
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Ivo Dominguez Jr. and James C. Welch
Wilmington, DE
Queer activists and founders of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Delaware and the Delaware Lesbian and Gay Health Advocates.
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Edward Bringhurst III/V
Wilmington, DE
An amateur photographer, antique collector, and dog breeder who embraced a queer identity behind closed doors.
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Barbara Gittings
Wilmington, DE
One of America’s most impactful and iconic lesbian activists.
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Alice Dunbar-Nelson
Wilmington, DE
A poet, author, activist, educator, and philanthropist who spent her career trying to improve the quality of Black Americans’ lives.
Places
Explore the sites statewide that welcomed and made a meaningful impact on the lives of LGBTQ+ people and the fight for queer rights.
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The Renegade
4274 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach, DE
A once popular gay bar, restaurant, and resort at the Delaware beaches.
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Rehoboth Guest House
40 Maryland Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE
A historically queer-friendly guest house that still welcomes visitors today.
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Legislative Hall and Legislative Mall
411 Legislative Avenue, Dover, DE
The site of Delaware’s state capital building and the outdoor location of large, annual LGBTQ+ festivals.
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Griffin Community Center
214 N. Market Street, Wilmington, DE
A Former LGBTQ+ community center in northern Delaware that offered a wide variety of services and support during a time of need.
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Daugherty Hall at the University of Delaware
17 W. Main Street, Newark, DE
A gathering place for all and where the University of Delaware’s Gay Student Union hosted its weekly coffeehouses.
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CAMP Rehoboth Community Center
37 Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE
A longstanding LGBTQ+ community center in Sussex County.
Artists
See how LGBTQ+ artists used their creative skills to encapsulate the queer experience through their eyes.
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Tom Wilson
Sussex County, DE
An international model and queer artist who portrayed underrepresented southern Delaware people and experiences.
Authors
Read more about the LGBTQ+ individuals who risked it all to document important stories and narratives that helped shape the queer experience in Delaware and beyond.
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My Rainbow and Trinity Neal’s “Rainbow” Wig
Wilmington, DE
Items of significance to Wilmington resident Trinity Neal’s experience as a transgender girl.
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Lesbian novels by Sarah Aldridge
Sussex County, DE
Some of the first literary works that captured the experience of lesbians in a more realistic, loving light.
Documents
Learn more about the historical documents that have helped capture significant moments throughout Delaware's queer history.
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Edwina Kruse’s Letters to Alice Dunbar-Nelson
Wilmington, DE
Dozens of letters, some romantic and some mundane, were shared between lovers and colleagues Edwina Kruse and Alice Dunbar-Nelson shortly after the turn of the century.
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Delaware’s First Same-Sex Marriage License
Wilmington, DE
The marriage license issued to then-state Senator Karen Peterson and her partner Victoria "Vikki" Bandy was Delaware's first same-sex marriage certificate.