Local
Virginia lawmakers seek ability to defend state laws
House committee approved bill day after AG marriage announcement
Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring on Thursday announced he will not defend the state’s constitutional amendment that bans same-sex marriage.(Photo courtesy of Herring for Attorney General)
The 13-7 vote in the House Courts of Justice Committee on the measure that state Dels. Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah County) and Bob Marshall (R-Prince William County) introduced on Jan. 7 took place a day after Attorney General Mark Herring announced he would not defend the state’s constitutional amendment that bans same-sex marriage.
State Dels. Dave Albo (R-Fairfax County), Rob Bell (R-Charlottesville), Ben Cline (R-Rockbridge County), Jackson Miller (R-Manassas), G. Manoli Loupassi (R-Richmond), Ron Villanueva (R-Virginia Beach), Greg Habeeb (R-Salem), Randy Minchew (R-Loudoun County), Rick Morris (R-Isle of Wight County), James Leftwich (R-Chesapeake), A. Benton Chafin (R-Russell County), Les Adams (R-Pittsylvania County) and Gilbert voted for House Bill 706. State Dels. Vivian Watts (D-Fairfax County), David Toscano (D-Charlottesville), Charniele Herring (D-Alexandria), Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond), Patrick Hope (D-Arlington County), Mark Keam (D-Fairfax County) and Monty Mason (D-Williamsburg) opposed the measure.
State Dels. Terry Kilgore (R-Scott County) and Jeff Campbell (R-Smyth County) did not vote on HB 706 that contains a so-called emergency clause that would allow it to immediately become law if the governor were to sign it.
“A member of the General Assembly has standing to represent the interests of the commonwealth in a proceeding in which the constitutionality, legality or application of a law established under legislative authority is at issue and the governor and attorney general choose not to defend the law,” reads the measure.
Keam told the Washington Blade the committee vote took place without advance notice.
“Everybody knows that this wouldn’t even be an issue if Herring didn’t do what he did yesterday,” said the Fairfax County Democrat.
Keam further noted the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches of government has “been the same principle” in Virginia for 400 years.
“Why all of a sudden is there such an urgency that [they feel] like he has to change the rule now,” asked Keam. “The fact that they’re ramroding it through with emergency clause the day after the Mark Herring situation happens tells you that they’re driven by ideology.”
Virginia Republicans and social conservatives have blasted Herring for his decision not to defend the marriage amendment that voters in 2006 approved by a 57-43 percent margin. They also criticized him for joining a federal lawsuit against it that two same-sex couples from Norfolk and Richmond filed last year.
“Why didn’t he tell everybody when he was running for office what he was doing,” Marshall told Roll Call Editor-in-Chief Christina Bellantoni during an interview that aired on “The Kojo Nnamdi Show” on WAMU on Friday. “He kept this very cleverly to himself and sprung this like a Pearl Harbor attack on the people of Virginia after he takes an oath to defend the constitution.”
Pat Mullins, chair of the Republican Party of Virginia, on Thursday said Herring should resign so state lawmakers can appoint a successor who will defend the amendment. National Organization for Marriage President Brian Brown on Friday reiterated his call for legislators to impeach the attorney general.
“He is duty-bound to defend Virginia’s law,” said Brown in an e-mail to supporters. “Yet here he is, abandoning the people and law of Virginia to pursue his own selfish motives.”
The full House is expected to vote on HB 706 on Jan. 29.
The Virginia Senate, which will likely return to Democratic control following former Loudoun County prosecutor Jennifer Wexton’s victory in the special election to fill the seat that Herring had previously held, will likely kill the measure.
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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