Author: joel@joellevtov.com
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Delaware poised to become 17th state to ban LGBTQ panic defense
First published Friday, June 30, 2023 in the Washington Blade. It was an extraordinary week in the Delaware Senate, as a bill to ban the LGBTQ+ panic defense, in which a defendant claims they panicked and killed or injured a victim upon finding out the person was gay or transgender and receive a lesser sentence…
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Sarah McBride announces run for Congress
First published Monday, June 26, 2023 in the Washington Blade. After months of speculation and anticipation, Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride has announced her run for Congress. If elected, she would be the first and only transgender person in Congress. No other trans people have announced their run for Congress, according to the LGBTQ+ Victory…
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Delaware lawmakers seek to enshrine protections for gender-affirming care
First published June 23, 2023 in the Washington Blade. Delaware residents who receive gender-affirming care and the doctors that provide it can breathe a sigh of relief if a bill aimed at protecting those who seek gender-affirming care and the doctors that provide it passes. The bill, introduced by Rep. DeShanna Neal (D-District 13) last…
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Blunt Rochester makes it official: She’s running for Senate
First published Wednesday, June 21, 2023 in the Washington Blade. Walking slowly through the dramatically lit aisles of Philadelphia’s Bright Hope Baptist Church her family is well acquainted with, soft, jazzy piano music playing in the background, Delaware’s lone U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester announced that she is running for Senate, hoping to take over…
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Rehoboth restaurant target of small Christian protest
First published Thursday, June 15, 2023 in the Washington Blade. A small group of Christian protesters performed a Catholic ritual outside of Rehoboth Beach’s The Pines on Saturday, where the restaurant was scheduled to host a drag fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.). The six demonstrators, though, weren’t protesting the drag performers, nor…
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22 ways to celebrate Pride month in Delaware
First published Monday, June 5, 2023 in the Washington Blade. FRIDAY, JUNE 9 QUEER FILM: The Rehoboth Beach Film Society and CAMP Rehoboth kick off the three-day Pride Film Festival featuring 12 movies, ranging from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” to “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project,” which explores author Giovanni’s life and six decades…
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Carper’s retirement opens historic possibilities in Delaware
First published Tuesday, May 30, 2023 in the Washington Blade. As Delaware governor, he signed a bill that defined marriage as being between a man and a woman in 1996. Now, 27 years later, the Human Rights Campaign gives Sen. Tom Carper a perfect score on LGBTQ issues in Congress. That man, who turned from…
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University campaign for scooter safety slams into resistance
First published May 9, 2023 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Olivia Borgula The University of Maryland has launched an educational campaign to decrease unsafe riding practices. But a student group says this campaign will do little to prevent danger for micromobility users. University vice president Carlo Colella and a team of students and staff…
