SOAH will Defend and Protect the Freedom of All Members of Society

From the founding of our democracy, Americans have fiercely protected the constitutional right to free speech and the expression of differing viewpoints. But freedom of speech does not extend to threats of violence or the intimidation of others. When a business owner publicly promotes hatred toward transgender individuals while brandishing weapons and making statements that encourage physical harm, that conduct moves far beyond protected civic discourse.

Under established First Amendment law, speech that includes direct threats of violence or incites imminent unlawful action is not protected. Public calls for violence against any group — including transgender people — undermine the very freedoms and human dignity our Constitution was designed to protect.

Delaware has long stood as a welcoming and inclusive community where all people deserve the right to live safely, openly, and free from fear. One individual’s effort to spread hate and intimidation does not represent who we are as a state or as neighbors. The overwhelming majority of Delawareans believe in justice, dignity, and equal protection for every member of our community, even when disagreements exist.

We, SOAH, will continue to defend the right to peaceful expression while standing firmly against rhetoric that promotes violence, fear, and dehumanization. As the First State, Delaware’s strength has always been rooted in the belief that liberty and justice belong to everyone. Let's stand up to hate in all its forms because hate has no home here.