Local
D.C. Black Pride leader Fowlkes elected chair of DNC LGBT Caucus
Equality Delaware leader elected as caucus secretary
Earl Fowlkes Jr. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
The Democratic National Committee’s LGBT Caucus voted unanimously on Thursday to elect D.C. gay Democratic activist and Black LGBT Pride leader Earl Fowlkes as the caucus’s chair.
The election took place during the DNC’s annual summer meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz. DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz was among several guests speakers at the LGBT Caucus meeting in which Fowlkes was elected.
“The meeting was our first official Caucus meeting since the [Democratic National] Convention so it gave us an opportunity to celebrate the president’s re-election, all of the amazing LGBT victories last November at the ballot box and all the wonderful progress made in state legislatures over the past few months,” said gay DNC member Jason Rae of Wisconsin.
Rae, who has served as the LGBT Caucus secretary, assumed the position of acting chair in January, when then Caucus Chair Rick Stafford of Minnesota and Vice Chair Sue Lovell of Texas left the DNC after their terms expired.
Rae said he chose to run for a position representing the Midwest Caucus on the DNC’s Executive Committee rather than for chair of the LGBT Caucus.
“I wanted to help bring an LGBT voice to the executive team for the Midwest Caucus,” he said.
Rae said the LGBT Caucus on Thursday elected Laura Calvo, an official with the Oregon Democratic Party, as vice chair; and Lisa Goodman, co-chair of the statewide LGBT organization Equality Delaware, as caucus secretary.
Goodman played a lead role last year in campaigning for a same-sex marriage equality law and a transgender non-discrimination law that were passed by the Delaware Legislature.
Fowlkes served last year as an Obama delegate to the Democratic National Convention. He currently serves as president and CEO of the Center for Black Equity, an international LGBT advocacy organization that Fowlkes helped found. The organization, formerly known as the International Federation of Black Prides, among other things, organizes D.C.’s annual Black Pride celebration and conference. Fowlkes is also a member of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, D.C.’s largest LGBT political organization.
Fowlkes was attending DNC related meetings on Friday and could not immediately be reached for comment.
Rae told the Blade that the subject of the National Stonewall Democrats did not come up at the LGBT Caucus meeting on Thursday. NSD, an LGBT group, ceased operating last December due to financial problems.
LGBT Caucus member Raymond Buckley, the openly gay chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, told the Blade in February that he and other LGBT Caucus members were taking steps to resurrect NSD this year. In a phone interview on Friday, Buckley said he and the others working with him have made progress on the NSD front.
“We’re optimistic,” he said. “Some announcements will be coming soon.”
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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