DC’s longtime advocate, founding member of Capital Pride Alliance dies at 68

WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — One of D.C.’s biggest advocates for the LGBTQ+ community has died.

Bernie Delia was one of the founding members of the Capital Pride Alliance.

For almost two decades he’s been involved in planning Pride, helping shape it into what it is today. It’s one of the reasons his passing is such a big loss for the community.

Delia has been an advocate for decades, one of the first openly gay appointees at the Justice Department during the Clinton administration and later an appellate attorney.

In 2006, he joined Whitman Walker’s Capital Pride planning committee and helped found the Capital Pride Alliance in 2008.

Vincent Slatt, director of archiving with the Rainbow History Project was also a founding member.

“Bernie never tried to flaunt his resume or his years of experience at anybody. He just treated all of us as equal voices at the table,” Slatt said.

Most recently, he served as co-chair for WorldPride 2025, something he envisioned for more than 15 years.    

“Everything that we do on the WorldPride side, we will do that in conjunction or thoughts of what he would be wanting to see, come to fruition,” said Ashley Smith, board president of the Capital Pride Alliance.

Smith said he was a friend and confidant and inspiration to the LGBTQ+ community.

“He would want to want us to always remember that pride is special because for there’s always one person, if not more, that it’s their first Pride, and they will always remember that. And that is something that he lived by,” Smith said.

The Capital Pride Alliance said Delia is reunited with his husband Doug and sweet angel Lani.

“He’s moved us very far along in terms of the Pride movement and our city. And now it’s up to the younger people to carry on in his footsteps,” Slatt said.

A celebration of life will be held soon to properly remember Delia.

He died of natural causes.

As part of its oral history archives, The Rainbow History Project interviewed Delia in January 2022. You can listen to it online or read the transcript.