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Bowser attends celebration for Mary’s House for LGBT seniors

Facility slated to open in 2016

Published

12 years ago

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Muriel Bowser, gay news, Washington Blade
Muriel Bowser, gay news, Washington Blade, Mary's House

Muriel Bowser speaking at another event this week. (Washington Blade file photo by Vladyslav Rekhovskyy)

D.C. Congressional Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and District Council member and mayoral candidate Muriel Bowser were among more than 100 people that turned out on Sept. 20 for the second anniversary celebration of the founding of Mary’s House for Older Adults.

Billed as an “LGBT-friendly facility,” Mary’s House is expected to open in 2016 following completion of a major construction project to expand the single-family house owned by Imani Woody, founding director and president of Mary’s House for Older Adults, Inc.

Woody told the gathering at the site of the new facility at 401 Anacostia Rd., S.E., that the existing house on the property belonged to her family and was the home in which she grew up and later assisted her father in his retirement years.

“I witnessed my middle-class, heterosexual dad age and require family advocacy to make sure his needs and interests were met appropriately,” Woody said in a statement. “I know LGBT folks, with or without families, go back into the closet because being old and being gay at the same time are hard,” she said.

“I want to build a residence in our city where all elders, specifically LGBT elders, could bring their whole selves to the table,” she said.

According to literature distributed at the gathering, which took place in the spacious yard behind the existing structure, Mary’s House is in the process of raising $800,000 needed to begin the expansion project to convert the house into an eight-suite complex, with each suite having its own bedroom and bathroom.

Plans call for a common kitchen and dining area, where residents can socialize in a communal living arrangement.

Blueprints and an artist’s rendering of the completed house were on display at the Sept. 20 gathering.

“This is very novel in this city,” Norton told the gathering. “It has special meaning,” she told Woody. “You haven’t just gone out and done something that is wonderful. You have given the gift of your own family home … It tells us how much you believe in this project.”

Norton said she plans to take steps to determine whether the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development could provide some form of financial assistance to Mary’s House and similar facilities that are beginning to spring up in cities such as New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

Bowser joined Norton in expressing strong support for city services for the city’s growing senior population, including LGBT seniors.

“You have put your finger on an issue, a challenge that we have in our growing city to make sure that when we’re building housing that housing is affordable, safe, clean and accommodating and housing that will serve the needs of our LGBTQ communities,” Bowser said. “And I’m very, very proud of you.”

Others who spoke at the gathering in support of the project were Sterling Washington, director of the Mayor’s Office of GLBT Affairs, and five representatives of LGBT supportive churches or faith groups, including Rev. Jeff Vomund of Dignity Washington, Rev. Dwayne Johnson of Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, Rev. Cedric Harmon of Many Voices and Bishop Allyson Abrams of Empowerment Liberation Cathedral. Rev. Elder Darlene Garner of MCC also spoke.

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Baltimore

Popular Mount Vernon gay bar Leon’s to temporarily close after owner’s death

Ron Singer passed away on July 7

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2 days ago

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July 17, 2026

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Leon’s Backroom Bar in Mount Vernon. (Photo by Jessica Gallagher for the Baltimore Banner)

By WESLEY CASE | Leon’s Backroom, Baltimore’s oldest gay bar, temporarily shut down after service on Wednesday night, according to a post on the business’s Instagram page.

The announcement comes a little more than a week after the death of the Mount Vernon bar’s owner, Ron Singer, who died at 66 on July 7.

The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.

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Local

Comings & Goings

New garden center offers array of products in Rehoboth

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2 days ago

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July 17, 2026

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Bay Laurel Home & Garden is located just outside Rehoboth on Route 1.

The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected]. 

Congratulations to Stuart Ortel and Scott Marker, and Dave Lyons and Rick Hardy, on the recent opening of their garden center on Route 1 in Rehoboth Beach, in the former Farmer Girl site. It is called Bay Laurel Home and Garden and debuted earlier this year. The four owners are all well known to the denizens of Rehoboth Beach. 

Stuart and Scott have been active members of the Rehoboth Beach community since 1999. Stuart is a landscape architect, and has established relationships with many local folks in the building and landscape industry. When this opportunity for Bay Laurel Home & Garden presented itself, and they had the perfect team of people in place, he and Scott were committed to making it a reality. So, when Scott and Stuart introduced this opportunity to create a new garden center to Dave and Rick, they embraced the chance to cultivate a business where beautiful plants, inspiring home and garden products, and outstanding customer service come together. Dave and Rick knew about owning a business in Rehoboth as they previously owned Coho’s Market, where they discovered firsthand the value of serving their community, and the rewards of running a locally owned business. 

The garden center launched with a refreshed brand identity, updated merchandising, and expanded product lines, all designed to create an inspiring and welcoming environment for your home. Bay Laurel Home & Garden offers a beautifully appointed garden center and curated home and gift shop. 

The new center features a full nursery with annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, and seasonal selections; a garden center offering pottery, fountains, and garden ornamentation, and essential tools and garden supplies. It has a garden shop featuring unique indoor/outdoor furnishings and accessories, and a gift shop featuring botanical and coastal style items for home and entertaining.

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Rehoboth Beach

Celebrate Pride in Rehoboth Beach this weekend

‘A vital space for community, healing, and connection’

Published

4 days ago

on

July 15, 2026

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Rehoboth’s Pride festivities kick off Friday. (Washington Blade file photo by Daniel Truitt)

Pride in Rehoboth Beach is kicking off this week on Friday, July 17, with events happening throughout the weekend.

“Rehoboth Beach Pride is more than a festival — it is a vital space for community, healing, and connection,” said David Mariner, director of Sussex Pride, which organizes many of the events.

The weekend will begin with the Grand Opening & Community Preview from 1-4 p.m. on Friday, July 17, celebrating the opening of Novus Medical Services and the new Sussex Pride Community Center. 

This will be followed by an Interfaith Pride Service at 6 p.m. at the Metropolitan Community Church Rehoboth to gather for healing and the affirmation of queer spirituality with Rev. Carla Christopher, chair of Sussex Pride Faith.

Members of the community are then invited to head over to join the Rehoboth Beach Bears at the Pines to have dinner, mingle, and give back to local initiatives. 

End the first night of Pride in Rehoboth at Diego’s Bar & Nightclub with music by DJ Joey P from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

Rehoboth Beach Pride Festival will take place on Saturday, July 18, 2026, from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. inside the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center. A full list of events is available at rehobothbeachpride.org.

Roxy Overbrooke will host on the main stage as live performances take place throughout the day, featuring music from DJ MK and Tribe 9 Entertainment.  

The festival will include educational workshops, community meetups, and a raffle dedicated to raising funds for unhoused LGBTQ+ youth across Delaware. 

Feature workshops include panels discussing topics such as unhoused LGBTQ+ youth in Delaware, the needs of trans and non-binary youth, as well as the increase in HIV and syphilis diagnoses amid federal budget cuts, in a panel moderated by Blade Editor Kevin Naff. 

Saturday night will also feature an evening comedy and entertainment show at the Convention Center presented by the Gay Women of Rehoboth. Performers will include comedians Suzanne Westenhoefer and Karen Mills as well as musician Kristen Merlin. Tickets are available at gaywomenofrehoboth.org. 

The Rehoboth Beach Pride Ride will take place at 10 a.m. on Sunday, July 19, hosted by the Dykes on Bikes Rehoboth Beach Women’s Motorcycle Club, starting at Lefty’s.

Goolee’s Drag Brunch will also take place on Sunday from 12-2 p.m at Goolee’s Grille. This is a family-friendly event hosted by Regina Cox and Ruby, featuring Aurora Sterling, Michelle Leigh Sterling, Scarlet St. Cartier, and Joanna Blue. Tickets can be purchased online. 

Pride in Rehoboth will conclude at 2 p.m. with the official Rehoboth Beach Pride Closing Party at Aqua Bar & Grill, celebrating the venue’s landmark 20th anniversary with DJ Biff until 7 p.m.

Due to an influx of visitors for the summer season, those coming from out-of-town are encouraged to use the Park & Ride.

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