Arts & Entertainment
Holiday weekend beach fun
Labor Day is always a big time for Rehoboth events
Summer at Rehoboth Beach. (Blade file photo by Joey DiGuglielmo)
Rehoboth Beach, Del., is always bustling with LGBT activities throughout the Labor Day weekend. Here are a few in case you’re heading to the beach next weekend.
The 25th anniversary Sundance Celebration occurs Sept. 1-2 at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center (229 Rehoboth Ave.) in benefit of CAMP Rehoboth Community Center. On Sept. 1, there’s a Sundance Auction, cocktail buffet and an open bar starting at 7 p.m. The party starts the next night at 8 with dancing and an open bar. Tickets are $45 for one event and $80 for both events. For more information or to buy tickets, visit camprehoboth.com.
If you’re at the beach this weekend, CAMP Rehoboth and Seashore Striders hold their Sundance 5K Run, Walk or Sashay on Sunday (Aug. 26). Registration begins at 6 a.m. and the race starts at 7:30 a.m. The race starts and finishes at the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center (37 Baltimore Ave.).
There’s a scenic route through downtown Rehoboth Beach. There are separate routes for the 5K run/walk and the 1-mile walking course. At the end, awards are presented to top three finishers in 16 age groups. Prizes are also given out to those in best costumes. Refreshments are served and there are raffle prizes.
Pre-registration is $25 with a guaranteed T-shirt. In person registration is $30. If attendees don’t want to walk or run, or they just want to cheer on their friends and family, there’s an optional $30 registration. All proceeds go to CAMP Rehoboth Community Center (camprehoboth.com).
The annual Drag Volleyball Tournament takes place Sept. 2 at Poodle Beach, or the end of the boardwalk. The tournament begins at 1 p.m., however it is suggested that attendees arrive early to put out chairs, as it always gets crowded. The themes of the tournament will not be announced until the teams begin playing. In previous years, themes like “The Sound of Music” and Lady Gaga have turned up. The event is free and open to everyone.
The gay bars in Rehoboth also have their usual fun going on. Definitely check out Aqua Grill (57 Baltimore Ave.), the Blue Moon (35 Baltimore Ave.). The latter, especially, always has something fun in the works. On Labor Day weekend, check out the Celebrity Tribute Show on Saturday, Psychic Sunday with Cashetta on Sunday and resident diva Pamala Stanley on Sunday and Monday (bluemoonrehoboth.com).
Photos
PHOTOS: Fredericksburg Pride March and Festival
LGBTQ celebration held in historic Virginia town
The sixth annual Fredericksburg Pride March was held in downtown Fredericksburg, Va. on Saturday, June 27. Stafford County Board of Supervisors Chair Deuntay Diggs led the march alongside Fredericksburg City Council Member Jannan W. Holmes. The Fredericksburg Pride Festival took place at Riverfront Park after the march. Bree Fram was the featured speaker.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Iran and Egypt on Friday faced off during the World Cup’s “Pride Match” in Seattle.
Iran is among the handful of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death. Discrimination and persecution based on sexual orientation and gender identity is commonplace in Egypt.
Friday’s match coincided with Pride weekend in Seattle. The Egyptian Football Association and the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran both objected to playing in the “Pride Match.”
Egypt and Iran tied 1-1.
FIFA, for its part, allowed Pride flags inside the stadium during the match.
“The FIFA World Cup 2026 is an inclusive event that welcomes people from all backgrounds,” a FIFA spokesperson told the Washington Blade in a statement. “Fans of all sexual orientations and gender identities are welcome at matches and events. General statements of human rights, including rainbow flags and other flags representing sexual orientation and gender identity, are permitted under the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Stadium Code of Conduct and may be displayed inside stadiums provided they are used in a manner consistent with the code.”
Human Rights Watch welcomed FIFA’s decision to allow Pride flags inside the stadium. Outright International, a global LGBTQ and intersex rights group, distributed Pride flags in Seattle on Friday, which was Pride Match Day.
“Visibility matters,” said Outright International Executive Director Maria Sjödin. “Pride is now being celebrated in more than 100 countries, including this weekend in Seattle. For many LGBTIQ people, seeing a Pride flag in public is a reminder that they are not alone, and that their rights and dignity are recognized.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino earlier this year told Die Weltwoche, a Swiss magazine, that “there will be no ‘Pride Match’ at the (FIFA) World Cup.”
“There will be a FIFA World Cup match in Seattle, and on the same day, events organized by external organizations will be taking place in the city,” said Infantino. “But that has nothing to do with the match itself.”
Peter Tatchell, a long-time LGBTQ activist from the U.K. who is director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation, was among those who traveled to Seattle for Friday’s match. Tatchell accused FIFA of not vetting World Cup teams — specifically Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Senegal, Qatar, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, Uzbekistan, and Algeria — over whether they would allow gay players.
“FIFA is protecting LGBT+ visibility in the stands while failing to protect LGBT+ players on the pitch,” said Tatchell.
The second annual Frederick Pride Parade was held in the streets of downtown Frederick, Md. on Friday, June 26.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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