Local
Baltimore to welcome Out & Equal
On Monday, the Maryland Corporate Council will host an event in partnership with the summit
On Monday, the Maryland Corporate Council will host an event in partnership with the Out & Equal summit in Baltimore. (Photo courtesy Out & Equal)
Baltimore will host the annual Out & Equal Workplace Advocates Summit next week. The event will take place Oct. 29-Nov. 1 at the Baltimore Convention Center. Out & Equal is committed to creating safe and equitable workplace environments for LGBT employees. The 2012 summit is sponsored by 118 corporations, non-profit organizations and government agencies.
At the summit, individuals, human resources professionals, diversity managers, employee resource group leaders and allies will have a platform from which to make connections, share best practices, and formulate a strategy that allows for a demonstration of their commitment to equality in the workplace.
There will be daylong leadership seminars on Monday prior to the primary conference. Spaces are still available for those seminars, and onsite registration will begin on Monday at 7 a.m.
Also on Monday, the Maryland Corporate Council (MCC) will host an event in partnership with the summit, which will provide an opportunity to network with LGBTA business and community leaders. It will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Pratt Street lobby of the Convention Center. This is free to MCC members and guests. To register, visit marylandcorporate.org.
A three-day registration package includes: entrance to the Welcome Reception; six workshop sessions, with approximately 20 workshop options per session; two plenaries, with meals (one breakfast, one lunch); access to the Night Out Networking events; and one ticket to the Gala Awards Plenary Reception and Dinner. There are flexible registration options for guests who wish to attend only a day of the conference, rather than attend the full program.
Stanley Ellicott, a spokesperson for the Summit, told the Blade, “We are excited to welcome a diverse group of celebrities, journalists and activists who will deliver keynote speeches.” They include: Selisse Berry, Out & Equal founding executive director; Benjamin Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP; Judy Shepard, activist and mother of slain gay student Matthew Shepard; Tammy Smith, Brigadier General, U.S. Army; Beth Brooke, global vice chair of public policy, Ernst & Young; and Vladi Luxuria, former member of Parliament, Italy.
For more information about the Summit, call 415-694-6500 or visit outandequal.org/summit-2012.
Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Summer Kickoff Party set for May 15 with Ashley Biden
The Washington Blade’s 19th annual Summer Kickoff Party is scheduled for Friday, May 15 in Rehoboth Beach, Del.
Ashley Biden, daughter of President Joe Biden, has joined the list of speakers, the Blade announced. She will accept an award on behalf of her brother Beau Biden for his LGBTQ advocacy work as Delaware attorney general. (Her appearance was rescheduled from last year.)
The event, to be held this year at Diego’s (37298 Rehoboth Ave. Ext.) from 5-7 p.m., is a fundraiser for the Blade Foundation’s Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which funds a summer position reporting on LGBTQ news in Delaware. This year’s recipient will be introduced at the event.
The event will also feature remarks from state Rep. Claire Snyder-Hall. New CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Dr. Robin Brennan and Blade editor Kevin Naff will also speak. The event is generously sponsored by Realtor Justin Noble, The Avenue Inn & Spa, and Diego’s.
A suggested donation of $25 is partially tax deductible and includes a drink ticket and light appetizers. Tickets are available in advance at bladefoundation.org/rehoboth or at the door.
District of Columbia
Curve magazine honors Washington Blade publisher
Lynne Brown named to 2026 Power List
Washington Blade Publisher Lynne Brown has been named to the 2026 Curve Power List celebrating LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary individuals in North America who are blazing trails in their chosen fields.
“From sports and entertainment icons to corporate leaders and lawmakers, these individuals are breaking barriers, challenging norms, and shaping the future,” Curve Foundation/Curve magazine said in announcing this year’s list, which includes ABC newscaster Robin Roberts, comedian/actress Hannah Einbinder, and singer/actress Renee Rapp, among others.
Brown has worked for the Washington Blade for nearly 40 years. She was named publisher in 2007 before becoming a co-owner in 2010.
“I am honored to be recognized by Curve magazine during Lesbian Visibility Week,” Brown said. “Receiving this Curve honor is twofold. I was an early subscriber to Curve. I enjoy the product and know its history. Its journalism, layout and humorous features have inspired me.
“As an owner/publisher, receiving recognition from a similar source acknowledges my work and efforts, with a sincerity I truly appreciate. Franco Stevens, the publisher of Curve, is a business person of duration, experience, and purpose. The fact that they are in the media business, and honoring me and my publication makes it a tiny bit sweeter.”
Nominations for the Curve Power List come from the community: peers, mentors, fans, and employers.
Curve explained the significance of the list in its announcement: “An annual, publicly nominated list of impactful LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary changemakers is crucial in current times to counter discrimination, legislative rollbacks, hostility, and the invisibility of queer women within mainstream and marginal spaces and endeavors. Such a list also fosters encouragement and solidarity, and elevates voices and achievements—from high-profile roles to under appreciated areas of life.”
Rehoboth Beach
Auction of Rehoboth’s Blue Moon canceled
Details on sale of iconic bar, restaurant not disclosed
The Blue Moon in Rehoboth Beach, Del., has been an iconic presence in the local LGBTQ community for four decades but its status remains murky after a sheriff’s auction of the property was abruptly called off on Tuesday.
The property was listed for sale in December. At that time, owner Tim Ragan told the Blade that he is committed to preserving its legacy as a gay-friendly space.
“We had no idea the interest this would create,” Ragan said in December. “I guess I was a little naive about that.”
Ragan explained that he and longtime partner Randy Haney were separating the real estate from the business. The two buildings associated with the sale were listed by Carrie Lingo at 35 Baltimore Ave., and include an apartment, the front restaurant (6,600 square feet with three floors and a basement), and a secondary building (roughly 1,800 square feet on two floors). They were listed for $4.5 million.
The bar and restaurant business is being sold separately; the price was not publicly disclosed.
But then, earlier this year, the Blue Moon real estate listing turned up on the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office auction site. The auction was slated for Tuesday, April 21 but hours before the sale, the listing changed to “active under contract” indicating that a buyer has been found but the sale is not yet final. As of Wednesday morning, the listing has been removed from the sheriff’s auction site.
Ragan didn’t respond to Blade inquiries about the auction. Back in December, he told the Blade, “It’s time to look for the next people who can continue the history of the Moon and cultivate the next chapter,” noting that he turns 70 this year. “We’re not panicked; we separated the building from the business. Some buyers can’t afford both.”
The identity of the buyer was not disclosed, nor was the sale price.
Memorial for groundbreaking bisexual activist set for May 2
ROSENSTEIN: Chavous for Democratic D.C. Council-at-Large
I don’t see the point in a relationship
Julius’ Bar ‘sip-in’ laid groundwork for Stonewall
Trans parent charged with kidnapping, allegedly fled to Cuba with child
Inside the lonely world of MAGA gay men
Wagons ho! High-class, head-turning haulers
Rorschach stages ‘Dragon Play’ in unlikely, raw space
‘Big Mistakes’ an uneven – but worthy – comedic showcase
