Karen Peterson is an American politician who formerly represented the
9th district of the
Delaware Senate. First elected in 2002, she is a member of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
. Peterson served in the Senate until 2016.
On May 7, 2013, Peterson came out as
lesbian
A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
during Senate debate on
same-sex marriage in Delaware
Same-sex marriage in Delaware has been legally recognized since July 1, 2013. Governor Jack Markell signed legislation legalizing same-sex marriage on May 7, 2013, just hours after its passage in the Delaware House of Representatives and Senate. T ...
, becoming the state's first openly LGBT legislator. At that time, she had been with her partner Vikki Bandy for 24 years, and the two had entered a civil union when Delaware legalized them the year before. The two were married on July 1, 2013, becoming the first same-sex couple to convert their existing civil union into marriage in Delaware.
[Neff, Lisa. "Delaware gay couples marry" '' Wisconsin Gazette'' July 11, 2013; p. 4, col. 3]
References
External links
*
Democratic Party Delaware state senators
Living people
People from New Castle County, Delaware
Women state legislators in Delaware
LGBT state legislators in Delaware
Lesbian politicians
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians
Year of birth missing (living people)
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