Rehoboth, ‘Real World’ and RIP

Happy New Year and thanks for reading DC Agenda. One of my resolutions is to blog more in 2010 so here’s a quick update on things here.

First, apologies for the web site down time on Sunday. We had a technical hiccup that is now resolved. Some older content is missing from the site but will be restored shortly.

I spent the New Year’s holiday in Rehoboth Beach and, judging by the crowds, the resort town remains D.C. east. Had the pleasure of running into many D.C. folks but won’t name names here; there are enough Facebook updates and photos floating around already.

There’s an unexpected New Year’s tradition that has taken off in the past few years in Rehoboth. A mixed crowd of gay men and lesbians gather at the Frogg Pond bar on New Year’s Day to watch football, drink beer and dance. It’s become an all-day affair. The fantastic band One Love played this year after a few hours of bowl games and jukebox dance music. It’s always a memorable time.

Back in D.C. last week, the cast of MTV’s reality staple “Real World” returned to town for the Dec. 30 premiere of the show. One of the roommates worked as an intern for the Washington Blade last fall and I had the pleasure of getting to know her.

Callie Walker, an aspiring photographer, came to my attention after I received a call from a “Real World” producer who said some of the roommates were bringing the Blade into the house and they needed our permission to display the paper’s logo. I asked if any of the housemates were looking for internships and received a call from Callie a few days later.

I won’t reveal much more just yet – be sure to watch the show. But Callie proved an exceptional intern. On the premiere last week, Callie announced that Ronald Reagan was her favorite president. Her political views never came up in the Blade office and Callie never turned down an assignment. She’s as gay-friendly as they come. I look forward to watching her adventures unfold on the show.

And finally a bit of sad news. Deborah Howell, former editor of the St. Paul Pioneer Press and the former Washington Post ombudsman, has died. I had several pleasant interactions with Howell during her Post tenure. She was a forceful, fair voice for equality at the Post who wasn’t afraid to stand up to editors there.

When the Post covered the funeral of Alan Rogers, an Army major killed in Iraq, and omitted any details of his sexual orientation, Howell and I were in regular contact. I protested the Post’s forcing Rogers into the closet and she ultimately agreed with me and wrote an important column that I believe has helped the paper deal more honestly with gay topics. She made a real impact on the journalism profession during her career and will be missed.