Emily Geckle (she/her) lives in Ocean View, DE with her family and two bunnies, Brioche and Babka. She has a BA in Anthropology with a Concentration in Archaeology and minors in Museum Studies; Africa and African Diaspora Studies; and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Emily hopes to continue her studies at the University of Delaware to research the epigenetics of behavioral neuroscience. In my freetime I enjoy surfing, roller skating, and making art. Emily is a volunteer with Sussex Pride Housing.
Where are you originally from and what do you like most about living in Delaware.
I was born in Lewes, DE and grew up in Bethany Beach. I appreciate the historical and environmental resources preserved by the DE State Parks and grew up volunteering for state archaeology projects throughout Kent and Sussex counties. My favorite thing about Delaware is the close-knit, intersectional network of volunteer organizations that work together to address many different social issues. I believe that Delaware’s small size can be an asset when it comes to building and maintaining community ties.
Who is your LGBTQ+ hero? Who do you look up to most in our community and why?
My LGBTQ+ hero is Frida Khalo because I find the honesty and vulnerability of her artwork inspiring and draw creative inspiration from many of her works. She was a pansexual icon who was ahead of her time and worked alongside many revolutionaries of her time, such as Leon Trotsky, to fight imperialism and promote democratic socialism and equality across the globe. She advocated for intersectional justice decades before the term was coined and the concept entered public discourse. As a neuroqueer person, I often return to her quote, “I used to think I was the strangest person in the world but then I thought there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do. I would imagine her, and imagine that she must be out there thinking of me too. Well, I hope that if you are out there and read this and know that, yes, it’s true I’m here, and I’m just as strange as you.”
What is your volunteer role at Sussex Pride and what do you like most about it?
I volunteer with Sussex Pride as the Housing Liaison, networking with other local organizations to support unhoused LGBTQ+ community members. I am passionate about housing justice in general, and LGBTQ+ youth are especially impacted by homelessness as a consequence of cultural misconceptions about human sexuality and unaccepting families of origin. I am studying Construction Technology at DelTech through the SEED program and hope to volunteer my skills for local housing projects.
When was the first time you went to a Pride Event? What do you remember about it?
The first time I experienced a Pride event was at the 2019 DC Pride Festival with the Lavender Club of my former college. Having grown up in a rural, military-feeder school district, college was the first time I experienced acceptance in any community or group setting. There is a well-documented correlation between neurodivergence and queerness (“The Double Minority Effect: The Struggles of Identifying as Autistic and LGBTQIA+”), and finding acceptance in queer community has also enabled me to find belonging as a high-masking autistic person. I am passionate about celebrating human diversity and ensuring that all people have access to safety and community without sacrificing genuine self-expression. I will be volunteering at this year’s Rehoboth Beach Pride to raise awareness about Sussex Pride Housing initiatives.
Tell us about Day for Housing 2025 and how to get involved?
Please join me in promoting local housing justice by registering to attend the Housing Alliance of Delaware’s “Day for Housing” on May 22, 2025 at Legislative Hall in Dover, DE. Participants from each voting district will be given a time slot to speak with their Senator and Representative about the need for affordable housing in Delaware. Hope to see you there!