Rehoboth Beach celebrates Pride Month with flag, crosswalks

In recognition of Pride Month, Rehoboth Beach officials held a Pride flag-raising ceremony at city hall and cut two ribbons for newly painted Pride crosswalks on Baltimore Avenue.

Taking place June 1, Mayor Stan Mills led the way at the flag-raising ceremony. He said it was the sixth year for the flag to fly at city hall, but the first time it will be up the whole month.

CAMP Rehoboth officials were presented a proclamation celebrating Pride Month during a commissioner meeting May 17. Mills read portions of the proclamation during the flag-raising ceremony, saying the flag and crosswalks are the visual manifestation of the proclamation.

The flag will be up for at least a month, while there is no timeline for the crosswalks, Mill said, which drew loud applause and waving of Pride flags.

The dozens of people in attendance made their way from city hall to the Baltimore Avenue crosswalks after the flag was raised. To get to the crosswalks from city hall, everyone had to travel up Steve Elkins Way, which was dedicated in May 2019. Elkins and his husband Murray Archibald co-founded CAMP Rehoboth in 1990. 

Richard Byrne, Rehoboth Beach Main Street president and former city commissioner, was the elected official who brought the walkway to fruition at the request of longtime resident Fay Jacobs. When the walkway was dedicated, the powers that be at the time said that was enough, said Byrne, standing on the crosswalk at Baltimore Avenue. He said governments work incrementally, and now the town has the crosswalks.

CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, standing on the crosswalk across Second Street that connects Steven Elkins Way to Baltimore Avenue, said the crosswalks were another example of CAMP Rehoboth and the city working together, always striving to see the dignity, joy and love in all. In recognition of that love, this is also a reminder to look both ways when using the crosswalks, she said.