Local
Gray performs City Hall wedding for gay couple
Ceremony is first under new law allowing mayor, Council to perform marriages
D.C. residents Rob Robertson and Carlos Taylor were married Tuesday by Mayor Vincent Gray. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Under the glare of TV news cameras, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray on Tuesday performed a wedding ceremony for a gay male couple in a reception room outside his office at the John Wilson City Hall Building.
Gray told D.C. residents Rob Robertson and Carlos Taylor and close to 50 friends and relatives who turned out to see them tie the matrimonial knot that he was pleased that the couple approached him to perform his very first wedding ceremony under a newly passed D.C. law.
The Marriage Officiant Act of 2013, which the D.C. Council passed and Gray signed earlier this year, among other things, gives the mayor and the 13 City Council members the authority to perform marriages. The bill became law on Nov. 5 after clearing its required review by Congress.
“One of the reasons that this particular ceremony is such a great honor for me is that it represents the cause for which I have been a long-time advocate,” Gray told the gathering. “To me, marriage equality and equal rights are matters of basic fairness and justice,” he said.
Robertson and Taylor each were born and raised in Virginia and moved to D.C. in 1996 and 1997 respectively. The two said they met in 1997 through a mutual friend, began dating in the summer of 1999, and have been a couple since that time. Both also work as Information Technology professionals and live in Adams Morgan.
They said their friend, gay activist Peter Rosenstein, suggested they consider letting Mayor Gray perform their wedding at a time when Rosenstein told them the Marriage Officiant Act was about to become law.
“We wanted to get married and we were having a drink with Peter and he said I know the mayor and I can introduce you, and maybe he’ll be willing to marry you,” Robertson told the Blade. “We thought it was a fantastic idea.”
“Peter reached out to the mayor and the mayor responded by saying it would be awesome,” said Taylor as he and Robertson mingled with well-wishers after the ceremony. “And that’s how we got here, and he’s been very welcoming.”
Gray told reporters he was happy to accept Robertson and Taylor’s request for the wedding ceremony and was “very pleased” that a gay couple became the first couple he was able to marry.
“If people ask me I’ll be happy to do it,” he said when asked if he plans on performing marriage ceremonies on a regular basis. “It could be a heterosexual couple. It could be a same-sex couple. That would be fine with me.”
The mayor accompanied Robertson and Taylor and their guests in an adjoining room after the ceremony for a Champagne toast in honor of the two grooms and to share in consuming a large wedding cake donated by local pastry chef Padua Player of the D.C.-based Suga Chef Desserts.
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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