Karen E. Peterson
 Karen Peterson is an American politician currently serving in the Delaware General Assembly as a State Senator. First elected in 2002 she is a member of the Democratic Party.On May 7 2013 Peterson came out as lesbian during Senate debate on same-sex marriage in Delaware becoming the state's first openly LGBT legislator. At that time she had been with her partner Vikki Bandy for 24 years and the two had entered a civil union when Delaware legalized them the year before.