WILMINGTON, Del. — The Delaware chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is calling on Delaware state lawmakers to pass a marriage equality bill.
Richard Smith, President of the Delaware NAACP, says, in a new video released by Equality Delaware, a statewide LGBT advocacy group, that “our gay brothers and sisters should have the freedom to marry the person they love, just like the rest of us.”
“Civil marriage equality is a clear cut issue for the NAACP – it’s simply about equal protection under the law,” said Smith. “People may have their own personal or religious views on this issue, but that’s not what is at issue here. This is a matter of civil marriage not religious marriage.”
Last year, the NAACP national board passed a resolution endorsing marriage equality for same-sex couples.
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
The resolution — coming on the heels of President Barack Obama’s historic support for marriage equality, and subsequent polling on the issue among African-Americans — stated that it was demanded by the equal protection guarantees written into the U.S. Constitution.
Lisa Goodman, president of Equality Delaware, said the NAACP endorsement is evidence of an inaccurate portrayal of the black community’s stance on gay rights.
“I think there has been a misconception in certain areas relating to African-American support for marriage equality, which has been created in part or perpetuated in part by those who are against equality,” she said. “What we’ve seen nationally is that the politics of division are not long effective on this issue.”
A new poll released earlier this month shows that the NAACP national board passed a resolution endorsing marriage equality for same-sex couples.
