Local
Wheelchair theft prompts support for D.C. gay man
Social media fundraiser yields $7,300
D’Arcee Neal (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
A 28-year-old gay man who is wheelchair bound due to cerebral palsy became the beneficiary of an outpouring of community support last week after his custom-made, lightweight wheelchair was stolen outside the Logan Circle home of a friend.
D’Arcee Neal, who works for the national disability group United Cerebral Palsy and sings with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, said the theft of his wheelchair effectively left him immobilized, unable to perform basic daily tasks and unable to travel to and from work at his downtown D.C. office.
He said the customized wheelchair, which gave him both mobility and the dignity of being self-sufficient, would cost about $5,000 to replace.
Knowing the predicament he faced, his friend Nicole Marissa Yates took it upon herself to create a page on the fundraising website GoFundMe without telling Neal she had done so.
“I don’t know what it feels like to have your mobility taken away from you, but I imagine that even though he’s a strong, vibrant individual, he feels violated,” Yates wrote in a message posted on the fundraising site. “As his friends and family, we can come together to show him that we love and support him by funding his new chair,” Yates wrote. “Thank you for your contribution – anything helps!”
According to a report on the website, 155 people contributed a total of $7,300 in five days. Yates said the effort received a boost when Channel 4 News reporter Jackie Benson did a story about the wheelchair theft that included an interview with Neal on the evening news.
Neal told the Blade he’s grateful for the support he received from members of the community along with friends who contributed to the fund. He said the funds enabled him to purchase a temporary $400 wheelchair for his immediate use while he arranges for another custom made, lightweight and high-speed chair to be made. That could take as much as a month or more, he said. He plans to donate the temporary chair to a local charity.
He said he left the chair that was stolen in what he thought was an inconspicuous spot near the steps to the basement apartment at his friend’s place while apartment sitting for the friend. He isn’t able to drag or move the chair up or down steps, he said, in a world in which very few private residences are wheelchair accessible.
According to Neal, he prides himself on keeping in good physical shape by crawling up and down entrance steps – both at his friends’ homes and his own basement apartment in Anacostia, where he keeps his wheelchair outside in a concealed location.
“There are handicapped accessible apartments and homes but the rent is thousands of dollars a month more than I can afford,” 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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