Local
Activists to receive Stein Club awards
City’s largest LGBT political organization issues its leadership awards each year during its anniversary reception
Nikisha Carpenter, Andy Bowen and Toby Quaranta were named as recipients of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club’s Annual Leadership Awards for 2013. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
LGBT Youth Pride Alliance leader Nikisha Carpenter, D.C. Trans Coalition organizer Andy Bowen, and former D.C. Young Democrats President Toby Quaranta were named Tuesday as recipients of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club’s Annual Leadership Awards for 2013.
The Stein Club, the city’s largest LGBT political organization, issues its leadership awards each year during its anniversary celebration and fundraising reception. This year’s event, which marks the 37th anniversary of the club’s founding in 1976, is scheduled to take place 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar on Capitol Hill.
“These awardees represent some of the brightest leaders and advocates we have in our movement and we are proud of the work they’ve done to advance our equality within the Democratic Party and across the D.C. community,” said Stein Club President Martin Garcia in a statement.
“Our community is ripe with outstanding leaders and deciding who among them to recognize was challenging,” Garcia said.
Carpenter, president of Youth Pride Alliance for the past four years, is credited with expanding the organization’s capacity to fulfill its mission of representing the city’s LGBT young people. She will receive the club’s Heil-Balin Community Service Award, named in honor of the late Stein organizers Jerry Heil and Ron Balin, who were partners in life.
Bowen is credited with coordinating the D.C. Trans Coalition’s efforts on several fronts, including shepherding through the D.C. Council legislation reforming the city’s policies for issuing new birth certificates for transgender people and providing safe shelters for LGBT homeless people. She will receive the club’s Wanda Alston Award, named after the late LGBT and women’s rights advocate Wanda Alston.
Quaranta, a former official with the Human Rights Campaign, is credited with advancing LGBT rights work within the D.C. Young Democrats and drawing more participants to the group’s projects, including its involvement in the Obama re-election campaign, during his tenure as president. He will receive the Stein Club’s Desi Deschaine Young Democrat of the Year Award, named for the late Stein Club member and youth advocate Desi Deschaine.
In addition to the awards for the three individuals, the club will present its Richard Rausch Equality Award to the D.C.-based organization TransLAW, which serves as a legal clinic providing assistance to the transgender community, including legal help in the process of changing one’s name and gender. The award is named after the late Stein Club organizer and Democratic Party activist Richard Rausch.
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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