CAMP Profile: An Interview with Corey and Doug Marshall-Steele

Anyone who regularly reads Delaware newspapers might recognize Corey and Doug Marshall-Steele’s names. They are often quoted in articles on lesbian and gay issues and are frequent authors of letters to the editors of publications across the region. I recently interviewed them for the following article that helps put faces to the names we often see in print.

Corey and Doug met in 1994, married in 1995, and now make their home in Milton, Delaware. Most recently they have been working to pass House Bill 99 (HB 99) as Kent and Sussex County Co-coordinators for the Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights Project of the ACLU of Delaware. HB 99 would insert the words “sexual orientation” in all anti-discrimination state code pertaining to employment, housing, and accommodations. The bill passed the Delaware House of Representatives, but is being held in the Senate Small Business Committee to keep it from reaching the Senate floor for a vote.

Mark: How did you first meet?
Corey: “We met while I was on vacation at Rehoboth Beach. I was sitting near the end of the boardwalk by the water with a friend. Doug walked by and smiled. He went over to the towels put his things down and went into the water. I beat a path to follow him to the water. We started talking and talked all afternoon and well into the evening.”

Mark: Which of you used the “L” word first?
Doug: “Corey used the “L” word first. We were attending a naturist camp in the Poconos a mere two weeks after we had met. It was there in the beauty of the scenery and the interesting events around us that we found a personal space. It was there that Corey first said he loved me. I responded by saying that I also loved him. It was only two weeks after we first met, but we knew that this was for keeps.”

Mark: How did you decide to marry?
Corey: “It was a formalization of our commitment to each other. It was a natural progression of our relationship for us. So many times people say that if a relationship doesn’t work it’s no big deal, just move on. It was our way of saying that we were solidifying our commitment in a public way.”

Mark: Why did you decide to take each other’s name?
Doug: “We see our relationship as a true marriage. Therefore, we wanted to approximate all of the characteristics that prevail in a marriage in our society. We obtained the proper legal documents, for example wills and powers of attorney. We also legally changed our names to reflect our committed relationship. Interestingly we inadvertently set legal precedent in the state of Delaware for same gendered couples interested in changing their names to reflect their relationship.”

Mark: You are both gay activists. Does this have an effect on your relationship? 
Corey: “Not a negative one. This is something we both feel very strongly about. The work that we do to promote equality enriches our relationship.”

Mark: How did you get involved?
Doug: “We were asked by the ACLU of Delaware’s Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights Project to be the Sussex County Co-coordinators. We subsequently also became the Kent County coordinators. Earlier we had been involved in the Episcopal church’s sexuality response team working in the diocese of Delaware to educate parishes on gay issues. Independently we had been writing on issues of gay and lesbian concerns for the newspapers.”

Mark: What is your proudest moment as a gay activist?
Corey: “When HB 99 passed the House. The session before similar legislation had died there. When the final vote was counted for HB 99 it was quite an amazing moment. The balcony at Legislative Hall was filled with supporters. There was a long, loud standing ovation. It was a major breakthrough for gay Delawareans.”

Mark: What single element was most responsible for HB 99’s success in passing through the Delaware House of Representatives?
Doug: “Undoubtedly it was the ongoing education of the representatives that made the difference. Lesbian and gay supporters and their allies had been patiently lobbying the legislators who in turn allowed themselves to be educated on the issues.”