Local
Graham undecided over re-election bid
Gay Council member forms exploratory committee
‘I’ve had so many people ask me, are you running, are you running,’ Council member Jim Graham told the Blade this week. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
Gay D.C. Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) on Oct. 15 filed papers with the Office of Campaign Finance to form an exploratory committee to help him decide whether to run in the April 1, 2014 Democratic primary for a fifth term in office.
Three other Democrats have already announced they will run in the Ward 1 primary regardless of whether Graham enters the race.
“I’ve had so many people ask me, are you running, are you running?” Graham told the Blade on Tuesday. “I wanted to do something formal to indicate I’m thinking about it and I’m touching bases with a lot of people and thinking about a lot of things,” he said.
“This is a big decision in my little life and I want to make sure that I make it right,” Graham said. “And there is no way to do all of this without an exploratory committee because it’s the only mechanism that we have available to us.”
Graham, one of the Council’s strongest supporters on LGBT rights and AIDS issues, acknowledged that he will have to make a decision on whether to run soon because petitions needed to gain access to the ballot become available to all candidates on Nov. 8. The deadline for filing the petitions with the required number of signatures with the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics is Jan. 2.
One of the candidates running in the Ward 1 race, public relations consultant and civic activist Brianne Nadeau, made an appeal for support on Oct. 14 at a meeting of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, the city’s largest LGBT political organization. The Stein Club has endorsed Graham in each of his four previous races for the Ward 1 seat.
Another candidate running for the seat is Bryan Weaver, a longtime community activist and former Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner who ran and lost to Graham in the 2010 Democratic primary. The third candidate to enter the race so far is Beverly Wheeler, an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University and former chief of staff for D.C. Council member Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large), prior to Mendelson’s election as Council chair.
Weaver has been the most outspoken among the three candidates in criticizing Graham for breaching city ethics standards following a decision in February by his Council colleagues to formally reprimand Graham over an allegation that he improperly intervened in the negotiating process for a city contract with a developer. The Council acted after the city’s newly created independent ethics board ruled that Graham, while not violating any law, breached a code of ethics as a Council member by intervening in the contract process.
Graham has strongly disputed the claim that he acted improperly, saying he favored one developer over another for a Metro-related project in his ward based on the belief that the company he favored was better qualified to do the work.
In a development likely to surprise some D.C. political observers, another one of Graham’s former election opponents, gay Republican Marc Morgan, who lost to Graham in the November 2010 general election, this week called Graham a champion for the residents of his ward.
“In trying to put political bias aside, I must admit that I’m a fan of Jim Graham’s,” said Morgan, a Ward 1 ANC commissioner. “Over the past four years I’ve had the opportunity to really get to know him,” Morgan told the Blade. “I admire his work … I can tell you that in my area the residents are extremely satisfied with him.”
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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