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.

  • A black and white photograph of a woman posing confidently in a men’s top hat, suit and bow-tie.

    Louisa Carpenter

    Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach, DE

    An equestrian, socialite, and amateur aviatrix who endured a dramatic lesbian love life.

  • Two light-skinned men with full beards and mustaches smile for the camera. Both men are wearing suit jackets with red flowers pinned to the lapels.

    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.

  • A white man with short brown hair looking straight at the camera. He wears a gray suit jacket with six buttons, a white shirt, and tie.

    Edward Bringhurst III/V

    Wilmington, DE

    An amateur photographer, antique collector, and dog breeder who embraced a queer identity behind closed doors.

  • A white woman with short brown hair sits at a table in front of a typewriter, smiling at the camera.

    Barbara Gittings

    Wilmington, DE

    One of America’s most impactful and iconic lesbian activists.

  • A portrait of a light-skinned, mixed-race woman with her hair tied up and back.

    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.

  • An off-white building with a hot pink roof is seen from the parking lot. A black and white sign reads “Renegade Restaurant & Lounge.”

    The Renegade

    4274 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach, DE

    A once popular gay bar, restaurant, and resort at the Delaware beaches.

  • A two-story, white house with a porch is seen from across the street.

    Rehoboth Guest House

    40 Maryland Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE

    A historically queer-friendly guest house that still welcomes visitors today.

  • Crowds of people are seen walking the green, visiting vendors under tents. Legislative Hall is visible in the background.

    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.

  • The exterior of a three-story building in downtown Wilmington.

    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.

  • A black and white photograph of a church with a tall steeple, large pointed arches, and stained glass windows.

    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.

  • A street view of a commercial property on the left and a residential property on the right, divided by a fence.

    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.

  • A white man with short light-brown hair takes a self-portrait in the mirror with a film camera.

    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.

  • A Black woman with short black hair smiles and reaches out towards the camera.

    My Rainbow and Trinity Neal’s “Rainbow” Wig

    Wilmington, DE

    Items of significance to Wilmington resident Trinity Neal’s experience as a transgender girl.

  • A photograph of an elderly white woman holding a photo of her younger self appears in a newspaper feature titled “Lesbian Gentility.”

    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.

  • A handwritten letter that begins with “My Dear Alice.

    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.

  • Composition of Vikki Bandy and Karen Peterson overlaid on the first Same-Sex marriage license. Their signatures are seen below their names.

    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.