Local
Police chief greets crowd at Richmond Pride
Event draws 15,000 in record turnout
A scene from last year’s Richmond Pride. This year’s event was the largest yet. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
RICHMOND, Va. — Police Chief Ray Tarasovic greeted participants in Richmond’s annual LGBT Pride festival from the event’s main stage on Saturday, Sept. 28, marking the first time the city’s top police official has attended a Pride event.
“Thank you for inviting me,” Tarasovic told the crowd, which organizers said swelled to between 14,000 to 15,000 people throughout the day, a record turnout for the event.
Officially billed as PrideFest 2013, the gathering took place in Kanawha Plaza, a park-like space in downtown Richmond in the shadow of the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank building.
Justin Shaia, the PrideFest director, said the plaza became host to 69 booths consisting of a wide range of vendors, including local and national businesses such as Wells Fargo and Capital One banks along with dozens of LGBT and LGBT supportive organizations.
Among the groups hosting booths were Equality Virginia, LGBT Democrats of Virginia, Log Cabin Republicans of Virginia, the Human Rights Campaign, the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network-Richmond Chapter, the ACLU of Virginia and the Gay Community Center of Richmond.
A number of LGBT supportive churches, including the Metropolitan Community Church of Richmond, also hosted booths.
Shaia said organizers were proud of the “awesome local and national talent” that performed on stage throughout the day, including popular drag performers.
Prominently displayed at the LGBT Democrats of Virginia booth were campaign posters for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, who’s running in a hotly contested race against Republican nominee Ken Cuccinelli, the current Virginia attorney general and an outspoken opponent of LGBT rights.
At the Log Cabin Republicans booth, members of the gay GOP group made it clear that the group did not endorse Cuccinelli and chose not to endorse any candidate in the governor’s race.
In addition to Tarasovic, Claire Gastanaga, director of the ACLU of Virginia, greeted the gathering from the stage, saying she was hopeful that an ACLU lawsuit challenging Virginia’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage would be successful.
Tarasovic, who served as an official with the D.C. Police Department for 15 years, walked through the festival grounds, shaking hands and posing for photos with enthusiastic festival-goers. He noted that at his direction, Richmond police set up a police recruitment table at the festival.
“Diversity is an important part of our community policing effort,” he 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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