Advocating at Legislative Hall
One of the four pillars of CAMP Rehoboth is advocacy and outreach, and the Board took its advocacy up a notch when it sent Board VP Leslie Ledogar to Legislative Hall in Dover to testify in favor of a bill that would ban the gay panic defense. Sponsored by Representative Eric Morrison, House Bill 142 would put an end to a legal strategy that allows a defendant to argue that a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity was the reason for a defendant’s violent reaction. This defense strategy has been used for decades in violent cases across the country, up to and including murder trials. ▼
Pictured above: Ledogar testifies on the House floor during a meeting of the House Judiciary Committee. Photo by Rep. Sherry Dorsey-Walker.
Kicking Off Summer
On Memorial Day weekend, The Lion’s Den Candle Company raised over $2,600 for CAMP Rehoboth with its BigLove Benefit Pool Party. The party raised funds from a raffle for VIP tickets to Madonna’s Celebration Tour in Philadelphia. Congratulations to the winners, Stacey Jennings and Brad Driver!
As company owner Jacob Anthony said, "What better way to show BigLove than to support CAMP Rehoboth!”▼
Broadwalk Supports the DBCC
As one of Women’s FEST signature events, the Broadwalk on the Boardwalk raises funds for the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition (DBCC). This year, the Broadwalk once again triumphed—despite poor weather conditions—raising $3,017 for DBCC.
In May, CAMP Rehoboth hosted a check presentation with representatives from the Broadwalk and DBCC. ▼
L-R: Andrea Miller, Karen Laitman, Connie Holdridge, and Meredith Rothstein
Signs and Symptoms: mpox
According to the CDC, the risk of new mpox (monkeypox) outbreaks could increase as people gather this summer for festivals and other events with high potential for skin-to-skin contact or increased sexual activity. Healthcare providers and public health partners need to help ensure disproportionately affected populations have access to vaccines, testing, and treatment.
Here are signs and symptoms to look out for regarding the virus:
• Mpox can cause a rash that may look like pimples or blisters on or near the genitals or anus and other areas including hands, feet, face, chest, or mouth.
• Other symptoms can include: fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, headaches and backaches, exhaustion, or respiratory symptoms like sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough.
Regardless of race, gender identity, or sexual orientation, anyone who has been in close personal contact with someone who has mpox is at risk.
For more information, including referrals for vaccines, email tara@camprehoboth.com or call 302-227-5620. ▼
National HIV Testing Day
On Tuesday, June 27, CAMP Rehoboth encourages the community to recognize National HIV Testing Day by getting tested during walk-in hours at CAMP Rehoboth’s new Health Suite, located in the rear corner of the CAMP Rehoboth Courtyard. Check page 31 for details. ▼
Travels with Letters
American Queen Voyages cruise
L-R: Geri Dibiase, Deb Knickerbocker, Deni Boyer, Sandy Sullivan, Marie Martinucci, Loretta Imbrogna, Jackie Goff, Lorie Seaman, Mary Vogt, Liz Wheeler, Ruth Morse, Michele Boyer, Pam Kozey, Mardel Miller
Galway, Ireland
Clockwise from left, Cheryl Buxton, Karen Feuchtenberger, Christine Bielenda, Sharon Miken
The Pink Party
On Sunday, July 2, from 12:00-6:00 p.m., Mike DeFlavia and Tony Sowers’s pool party returns as The Pink Party at 6 Futcher Drive in Rehoboth Beach. For a suggested donation of $20, this fundraiser for CAMP Rehoboth promises a day of fun on the holiday weekend. The rain date is July 3.
"We missed having a community-wide fun event—supporting a great cause and organization—that everyone looked forward to," said party host Mike DeFlavia, CAMP Rehoboth’s board secretary, on the decision to bring the party back. Previously, DeFlavia and Sowers vowed that 2019’s party would be the last.
Make a splash and be sure to join the festivities. For more information and to make a donation, visit camprehoboth.com. ▼
Steve Elkins Memorial Journalism Fellow Named
The Washington Blade recently announced this year’s summer fellowship recipients; they include Joel Lev-Tov (they/them), who was awarded the Steve Elkins Memorial Journalism Fellowship. Lev-Tov is a senior at the University of Maryland College Park studying journalism, and also serves as president of the Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists at College Park.
The fellow covers issues of interest to the LGBTQ community in Delaware.
“I’m extremely excited to start reporting about my community for my community,” Lev-Tov said. “The Blade is offering me a special opportunity that I’m very grateful for. I can’t wait to start reporting!”
Isabella Kravis (she/they) also was named as a summer fellow; Kravis will focus on DC LGBTQ+ issues.
Kevin Naff, editor of the Blade, welcomed Kravis and Lev-Tov to work.
“We’re all excited to work with Isabelle and Joel this summer,” Naff said. “There’s never been more news to cover and they will add an important, fresh perspective to our work.” ▼
On the Cover
Murray Archibald’s Drag Revolution (or Don’t Tread On Me…Bitch!) graces the cover of this issue. The work was purchased by the Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover as part of their “A Vision of Pride” initiative, in which it commits to purchasing a work by a Delaware LGBTQ+ artist each June.
Archibald says that the work is a satirical poke at the absurd idea that there is a need to regulate drag queens. “Drag queens occupy a unique place in the world,” Murray said in a statement to the Biggs. “Their campy, larger-than-life personalities allow them to move outside the boundaries of our cultural norms—and to boldly speak the truth, even when it’s hard to hear.”
Drag Revolution will be on display in the CAMP Rehoboth gallery as part of Archibald’s Mask Hysteria show through June 30. See page 90 for more. ▼
SpeakOUT
Pride Month has never meant more to me than it does this year. Across America, our community is under attack.
Recently, the United States Department of Homeland Security reported that threats of violence against the LGBTQ+ community are on the rise and intensifying. Last year, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) tracked a record number of hate crimes targeting members of the LGBTQ+ community. Those hate crimes—more than ever—targeted LGBTQ+ individuals of color and transgender and gender non-conforming individuals.
Currently, the HRC is tracking several hundred anti-LGBTQ+ bills in state legislatures. So far this year, 14 states have passed such legislation. We are also witnessing ridiculous and repulsive attacks on members of our drag community. This is especially troubling to me because I performed as a female impersonator for almost 25 years.
Delaware is largely a very welcoming place for LGBTQ+ individuals. I’ve been deeply involved in Delaware’s LGBTQ+ community for 30 years, and I’ve seen how far we’ve come. But our work is never done. Recently, I introduced legislation banning the “LGBTQ+ panic defense” in Delaware. In 2013, the American Bar Association passed a resolution urging the federal government and state governments to ban this defense. Seventeen states have done so, and several states are currently considering it.
In 2020—along with Senators Sarah McBride and Marie Pinkney—I was proud to be one of the first openly LGBTQ+ individuals elected to the Delaware General Assembly in its 244-year history. In 2022, two more openly LGBTQ+ individuals were elected—Representatives DeShanna Neal and Kerri Evelyn Harris. In just two election cycles, our community representation increased from zero to five in a general assembly composed of 62 legislations. Representation matters.
To everyone in our community and to our wonderful allies…Happy Pride Month!
– Eric Morrison
he/him/his
Delaware State Representative, 27th District
Send letters to the editor (up to 300 words) to editor@camprehoboth.com