1970s
In 1976, professor Richard Aumiller brought suit upon the University of Delaware because he believed that his First Amendment Rights were violated when the University refused to renew his contract for the 1976-1977 term because he had made statements on homosexuality that appeared in three newspapers. Aumiller had stated in an article for the Philadelphia Bulletin newspaper, “What does teen-age America want to know about homosexuals? They want to know if we are sick and if we can be cured,” and also made comments in The Review and The Wilmington News Journal. President Trabant suggested to Provost Campbell to contact Aumiller and compel him to keep “his private life his own business” and that if he “did anything to cause embarrassment to the University that something would have to be done.” Eventually, the court ruled in favor of Aumiller.
Clipping from the Review discussing difficulties the Gay Community has faced in finding resources and acceptance on campus and includes comments from Richard Aumiller.
1980s
In 1984, students at UD participated in a “Jeans Day” to raise consciousness around and remove stigma from students who identify as gay. In 1989, the GLSU held a meeting with President Trabant about some of their concerns in which he discourages anti-gay bias and also states that he does not tolerate racism or sexism.
1990s
The Foundations of Human Sexuality (WOMS401) is added to the Course Catalog in 1997. The course description reads: “A multidisciplinary study of human sexuality focusing on the implications for individuals and for the biological, psychological, and sociocultural determinants of human sexuality”
UD experienced a wave of action from its LBGTQ+ population in the 90s. In 1990, the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Student Union (LGBSU) held a “Die In” to raise awareness of violence against the LGBTQ+ community as well as celebration Coming Out Day in the 90s. UD also held a symposium to focus on the campus climate for lesbian, gay, and bisexual students in April of 1994. In 1999, the first openly gay congresswoman, Rep. Sebrina Sojourner, visited and spoke at UD.
“I like the fact that she speaks to multiple communities and having experiences of a black lesbian, being able to bring that to the political level”
Taj Carson, member of the LGBT Community Office on Sebrina Sojourner via UD Review
2000s
In 2005, UD created the Day of Silence Project in reaction to the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which prohibited gay and lesbian service members from serving openly. The students joined in silence and solidarity with their lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender peers to promote a safer school environment and advocate for the acceptance of all identities on campus. This demonstration occurred less than a year after Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage. In response to the passage of Proposition 8 in California, gay communities across the country, as well as on the UD campus, protested the restriction of marriage equality in December of 2008. By removing gay people from society for a full day, the “No Gays for a Day” protest aimed to bring notice about their normalcy and widespread existence.
2010s
Key of David Counter-protests, 2021. Students gather on the Green to protest against Key of David extremist groups promoting hateful messages about the LGBTQIA+ community and women.
University of Delaware’s President Dennis Assanis, Interim Chief Diversity Officer, and Vice-President of Student Life responded to homophobic and misogynistic protests by Key of David Christian Center from Philadelphia, PA. They clarify that UD’s values are to “welcome people from all backgrounds, perspectives, and beliefs, and we are committed to building a campus culture of respect and inclusion.” Although the University stated they condemn the hate speech demonstrated by Key of David, they later state in the same email that “it is also important to remember that the University values freedom of speech, even for those people and ideas that we may find deeply offensive and hateful.” Many students on campus expressed frustration with how the University’s administration, including President Assanis, and police responded.
