Local
Danny Williams dies at 62
Comedian, AIDS activist worked for RSVP Cruises
Danny Williams (Photo courtesy of Brian Moser)
Danny Williams, a well-known comedian and AIDS activist who entertained for more than 20 years on RSVP Cruises, died Nov. 4 at a Maryland hospital according to his husband, Brian Moser. Williams was 62 and succumbed to a staph infection though he had been struggling with health problems since 2012 when he went on disability.
Having lived many years in San Francisco, Williams, a hospital manager at UCSF Medical Center, started doing stand-up comedy in 1982 on his 30th birthday when he participated in an open mic event. For a time, he continued his day job and visited AIDS patients in the hospital while also participating in hundreds of charity fundraisers all over the country, Moser said. In 1986, he quit hospital work to focus on comedy full time.
In 1989, he started working for RSVP Cruises, known for their gay clientele. He entertained on board hosting costume parties, pool parties and gay spoofs of shows like “The Dating Game” and “Newlywed Game.”
Williams was born in New Orleans on Oct. 23, 1952 and spent part of his early years in Phoenix where his family relocated. He moved to San Francisco at age 18, Moser said. His religious parents sent him to a mental institution at 17 to try to “cure” him of being gay, an ordeal he later used in a one-man show called “1970.”
Williams and Moser met on an RSVP Cruise in 1995. The next year, Moser moved from Washington to San Francisco to be with Williams. They registered as domestic partners in 1998 and had additional ceremonies in 2003 and 2008 as California law allowed. They lived for a time in Palm Springs in 2000 and moved to the D.C. area in January this year where Williams continued his comedy work even performing at DAR Constitution Hall in March.
In addition to Moser, Williams is survived by his aunt Catherina Patricia Williams, and niece, Shannon Hedlund; sister-in-law Lisa Roja and her husband, Michael Roja; Moser’s sisters, Toni Roja and Diona Roja; and many nieces and nephews and extended family members. Williams is also survived by friends Tracey Brandon, Tom Harvey, Don Fenwick, Johnny and Jerry Hedges, Bob Grinchuck, and Reuel Olin.
A memorial service will be held in San Francisco Dec. 7 at 11 a.m. at Beatbox, 314 11th St. A reception will immediately follow at the 440 bar, 440 Castro St. Donations at the memorial and reception will benefit AEF and the Positive Resource Center, two of Williams’ favorite charities.
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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