Local
Whitman-Walker, Us Helping Us awarded ‘Obamacare’ grants
‘We are excited to create these partnerships with trusted organizations that have deep roots in the communities that make up the District of Columbia’
Whitman-Walker Health and Us Helping Us were among D.C. community organizations to receive city grants under the federal Obamacare program. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
Whitman-Walker Health and Us Helping Us, which provide health services to the LGBT community and people with HIV/AIDS, were among 35 D.C. community organizations to receive city grants this week to help people enroll in health insurance plans under the federal Obamacare program.
The D.C. Health Benefit Exchange Authority created by Mayor Vincent Gray and the City Council to implement the federal Affordable Care Act insurance program, known as Obamacare, awarded a combined total of $6.4 million to the 35 groups.
Whitman-Walker received $380,000, the second largest of the 35 grants. Us Helping Us received $85,000 in grant funds.
“We are excited to create these partnerships with trusted organizations that have deep roots in the communities that make up the District of Columbia,” said Diane C. Lewis, Executive Board chair of the Health Benefit Exchange Authority.
“The new health law offers essential benefits that will improve the health and security of the residents of our city,” Lewis said in a statement. “It is critically important that we have trained experts available to help ensure those benefits reach the people who need them.”
A statement released on Tuesday by the Health Benefit Exchange Authority says the grants, among other things, will support “rigorous training” of more than 150 people to enable them to become experts in helping D.C. residents and small businesses understand the complexities of the insurance exchange program and how to select an insurance plan best suited for them.
The insurance plans will become available on Oct. 1 through a website established by the authority called D.C. Health Link, the statement says. Insurance policies chosen under the program will take effect on Jan. 1, 2014, according to the statement.
“[T]he D.C. Health Link will soon offer insurance options to uninsured D.C. residents, many of whom are LGBT community members,” said Don Blanchon, Whitman-Walker’s executive director. “Now, with these grant funds, WWH will hire 3-4 additional employees to help these community members navigate their insurance options and choices,” he said.
“This grant will allow WWH not only to help current patients without insurance but also reach out to the broader LGBT community across the city,” Blanchon said.
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.
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