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LGBT retirement community opens in rural Maryland & more

LGBT retirement community opens in rural Maryland
A businessman from Dallas has opened Maryland’s first LGBT retirement community about 25 miles west of Baltimore.
The Stonewall Retirement Community, a resort-style residence for LGBT seniors anchored by a 12,000-square-foot structure atop a five-acre lot, is located in Howard County’s farming town of Woodbine. The facility can accommodate up to 14 singles or couples.
Scott Streit, Stonewall Retirement Community’s owner, said he’s targeting “the post-Stonewall and pre-‘Will & Grace’” generation with the venture.
The house features an outdoor pool that will be heated for year-round use, an eight-person hot tub, two barbeques, two laundry facilities, three kitchens, and a theater room with more than 500 DVDs. Other amenities include three large decks, wireless Internet and private baths with Jacuzzis.
Residency costs vary, depending on single or double occupancy and the desired setup. Prices start with a 650-square-foot, single-occupancy room with a small kitchen at $2,000 per month. At the top end is Stonewall’s 1,000-square-foot, double-occupancy room with a full kitchen and laundry at $3,750 per month, which includes two meals daily in the dining facility and a shopping service.
A complete cost model breakdown and amenity list is available on Stonewall’s web site, stonewallretirement.com.
Streit said it’s his hope that the shared lifestyle and activities among residents will bring a sense of community. Events keyed to New Year’s Day, Pride celebrations and Halloween, among others, are planned.
STEVE CHARING/BALTIMORE OUTLoud
D.C. man convicted of anti-gay hate crime
A jury has found a D.C. man guilty of bias-related assault and threats against a 67-year-old gay man, who authorities say was the subject of “an almost daily barrage of name-calling and harassment.”
Police said Anthony Wright targeted the elderly man along the 1200 block of Eaton Road, S.E., between June and August. At trial, police testified that Wright committed the assault and made threats to do bodily harm solely because of the victim’s sexual orientation.
Under the city’s hate crimes law, the maximum penalty Wright faces is 1.5 times greater than that of a similar set of offenses not listed as bias-related. According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, this means Wright could receive up to 270 days in jail for each of the two crimes.
A statement from the U.S. Attorney’s office notes that Wright’s name-calling against the victim “went on unabated for more than two years” before his actions turned violent on June 6. The statement says at that point, Wright punched the victim as he was sitting outside his apartment building. After that assault, police arrested Wright. He was released later that day.
“Upon his release, Wright returned back to the apartment building and proclaimed to the people standing outside, including the victim, that ‘they don’t lock you up for hitting faggots,’” says the statement. It says Wright continued his verbal harassment for another two months before threatening to stab him, a development that prompted police to arrest Wright for the second offense of bias-related threats.
Wright was found guilty April 28. D.C. Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein was scheduled to sentence Wright on Wednesday, after Blade deadline.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
New bus route ties D.C. to Delaware beaches
The gay men behind the DC2NY bus line will debut a new route over Memorial Day weekend tying D.C. to Delaware’s Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach.
Richard Green, DC2NY’s chief executive officer, said the new route will continue weekend trips between Delaware and Washington through Labor Day weekend. Ticket prices are $39 each way or $70 for a round trip. Departure times vary; a schedule will be posted soon at dc2ny.com.
“We’ve determined there’s enough interest that we’re going to do the entire summer season,” he said.
Previously, Rehobus shuttled customers between D.C. and Rehoboth Beach. That service, which began in 2007 and charged riders about $40 each way, ended after the 2008 summer travel season.
Since that venture ended, Green said “enough people have been asking for this service” that DC2NY decided to explore the market.
“Whether we make money or not, we want to do it this year as a service to the community,” he said. “We’re hoping to at least break even, but we’re committed to doing it this year to really give it a chance.”
JOSHUA LYNSEN
Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Pride festival to take place July 19
LGBTQ-friendly resort town welcomes third year of celebrations

Rehoboth Beach Pride is back for a day of summer celebration next Saturday.
The Delaware beach town will host its Pride festival at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center on July 19 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., followed by an after-party at Freddie’s Beach Bar and a ticketed event in the evening with a film screening, comedian, and musician.
“It will be a day of community engagement, fun, celebration and learning, all sorts of things rolled into one,” David Mariner, executive director of Sussex Pride, told the Washington Blade. “I think it’s a great opportunity for us to be together, to support each other.”
Pride is organized by Sussex Pride and Gay Women of Rehoboth. The festival will include a free, family-friendly event with vendors offering information and resources, health screenings, and other activities.
Drag queen Roxy Overbrooke will host the festival, with performances throughout the day by Ivy Blu Austin, Goldstar, the cast of Clear Space Theatre, JC Pizzaz, and Kadet Kelly.
Mariner said Rehoboth Pride has not seen a decrease in corporate support this year, as some Pride celebrations have. Last year, the vendor spots were capped at 50 but increased to 60 this year.
“The main thing that’s different this year is what’s happening in the world and what’s happening in the country so it changes the tone,” Mariner said. “I go into this with strength and determination and an awareness and appreciation for the rights that we have here in Delaware. I go into this … knowing there are people in our community feeling under attack. There are a lot of things happening at the national level that impact us from healthcare to education that affect our lives in various ways.”
Funds raised from a raffle will be used to support unhoused LGBTQ youth in Delaware. Last year, the raffle raised $1,000, which was donated to the Safeguards Housing Committee, a program of PFLAG Wilmington.
In response to LGBTQ youth “increasingly targeted by harmful rhetoric and policies,” the festival will hold various workshops with topics such as supporting the LGBTQ Latinx community, suicide prevention, and an ACLU activist training.
Mariner referenced a Dan Savage quote from the AIDS epidemic that he loves. He said it reflects Pride festivals and the celebration of pride in the LGBTQ community.
“During the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, we buried our friends in the morning, we protested in the afternoon, and we danced all night. The dance kept us in the fight because it was the dance we were fighting for,” the quote reads.
Mariner said having an event like this that combines education, advocacy, and celebration is reflective of “who we are as queer people.” He said it’s important to learn and recommit to the work that needs to be done and that he is looking forward to every piece of the day.
“I would just like to see everyone leave the convention center feeling loved and connected and supported and with a renewed sense of strength and determination to face whatever challenges may come,” Mariner said.
District of Columbia
Gay ANC member announces candidacy for Ward 1 D.C. Council seat
Community leader Brian Footer seeking seat held by Brianne Nadeau

Gay Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Brian Footer, a community activist who has been involved for many years in local and national government affairs, has announced his candidacy for the Ward 1 D.C. Council seat up for election in 2026.
Footer, a Democrat, will be running in the city’s June 2, 2026, Democratic primary for the Ward 1 Council seat, but it is uncertain whether he will be running against incumbent Ward 1 Council member Brianne Nadeau (D). Nadeau has not yet announced if she plans to run for re-election for a fourth term following her 12 years on the Council.
Nadeau has been a longtime vocal supporter of the LGBTQ community.
If Footer were to win the primary and the November 2026 general election, he would become the Council’s second openly gay member. Ward 5 Council member Zachary Parker (D) is currently the 13-member Council’s only gay member.
Footer is a three-term ANC commissioner who currently serves as Chair of ANC 1E, which represents the city’s Howard University, Park View, and Pleasant Plains neighborhoods.
“Brian has worked at every level of government — federal, state, and local — building a career rooted in public service, aging policy, and inclusive urban planning,” a statement on his campaign website says.
“I’m running for Council because too many people in Ward 1 are doing everything right and still feel ignored by the city they call home,” Footer states on his website.
“I’m running because we can do better,” his statement continues. “That means making housing more affordable, addressing homelessness with real solutions, and keeping our neighborhoods safe with smart, community focused strategies.”
When contacted by the Washington Blade for comment, Nadeau said she was not ready at this time to discuss her plans about running again or about Footer’s candidacy.
“The primary is a ways away, and I’m very focused right now on the budget and the stadium deal and all the work that we’re doing at the Council,” she told the Blade. “So, I really haven’t had time to turn to my plans. So, as a result, I’m also not going to be commenting on anybody else who is determined that they’re running at this time.”
She first won election to the Council in 2014 after she defeated four-term gay Ward 1 Council member Jim Graham in the Democratic primary after Graham became embroiled in an ethics controversy.
In the 2022 Democratic primary Nadeau defeated gay challenger Salah Czapary in a three-candidate race, by a margin of 48.5% of the vote compared to Czapary’s 30.9%.
With the third candidate, Sabel Harris, receiving 20.4%, the outcome showed that the two challengers had a combined total vote count higher than Nadeau.
Further details of Footer’s candidacy can be accessed from his campaign website, brianfooterdc.com.
District of Columbia
Gay GOP group hosts Ernst, 3 House members — all of whom oppose Equality Act
Log Cabin, congressional guest speakers mum on June 25 event

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and three women Republican members of the U.S. House appeared as guest speakers at the June 25 meeting of Log Cabin Republicans of D.C., the local chapter of the national LGBTQ Republican group with that same name.
The U.S. House members who joined Ernst as guest speakers at the Log Cabin meeting were Celeste Maloy (R-Utah), Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), and Julia Letlow (R-La.).
Neither D.C. Log Cabin Republicans President Andrew Minik nor spokespersons for Ernst or the three congresswomen immediately responded to a request by the Washington Blade for comment on the GOP lawmakers’ appearance at an LGBTQ GOP group’s meeting.
“Please join us for an inspiring evening as we celebrate and recognize the bold leadership and accomplishments of Republican women in Congress,” a D.C Log Cabin announcement sent to its members states.
“This month’s meeting will highlight the efforts of the Republican Women’s Caucus and explore key issues such as the Protection of Women and Girls In Sports Act and the broader fight to preserve women’s spaces in society,” the message says.
It was referring to legislation pending in Congress calling for banning transgender women from participating in women’s sports events.
According to media reports, Ernst and the three congresswomen have expressed opposition to the Equality Act, the longstanding bill pending in Congress calling for prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the areas of employment, housing, and public accommodations.
The Log Cabin announcement says the meeting was scheduled to take place at the Royal Sands Social Club, which is a restaurant and bar at 26 N St., S.E. in the city’s Navy Yard area.
D.C. Log Cabin member Stuart West, who attended the meeting, confirmed that Ernst and the three congresswomen showed up and spoke at the event.
“It was a good turnout,” he said. “I would definitely say probably 30 or 40 people attended.” West added, “Four women came to talk to a group of mostly gay men. That’s something you don’t see very often.”
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