Local
Calvin Steinmetz dies at 62
Attorney and gay sports league enthusiast
Calvin Steinmetz
Calvin Steinmetz, an attorney who practiced law for more than 30 years in D.C., Maryland and Virginia and most recently in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., died Dec. 5 at his home in Wilton Manors, Fla., following a year-and-a-half battle with brain cancer, according to Brian Boyle, his partner of 30 years. He was 62.
Friends and associates said Steinmetz’s law practice took on a wide range of cases over the years, including criminal defense work, civil litigation and “nuts and bolts” legal work such as preparing wills and trusts, powers of attorney and estate planning and administration.
They noted his friendly demeanor and close attention to details and the needs of his clients made him especially popular with those who retained his services for years, with many becoming friends.
“Cal was one of the good guys,” said D.C. gay activist Robert York. “He had a way of making any stranger feel like a longtime friend. He was a friend, mentor and a leader on the field of softball and even more so in the field of life.”
York was referring to Steinmetz’s lifelong passion for softball as well as basketball and bowling, which his former law partner in Washington, Steve Weinberg, said manifested itself in Steinmetz’s dedicated support for gay sports leagues in D.C. and later in Fort Lauderdale.
For many years Steinmetz, a native New Yorker, sponsored and played for a gay softball team in D.C. that he named Calmets, Weinberg said, after his beloved New York Mets baseball team. The team is part of the Chesapeake and Potomac Softball League, known as CAPS, an LGBT sports league for which Steinmetz served as commissioner, Weinberg said.
Steinmetz was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. He received a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Rochester in New York in 1974 and a law degree from George Washington University School of Law in 1977.
Although he planned to start his law practice in the D.C. metropolitan area, Weinberg said Steinmetz applied for and became qualified to practice law in Florida after taking his first job with a D.C. law firm that specialized in abortion rights cases in several states, including Florida.
Steinmetz also became licensed to practice in D.C., Virginia and Maryland and eventually was admitted to take cases before federal district and appeals courts in those three jurisdictions as well as before the U.S. Supreme Court.
For most of his years practicing in D.C., Steinmetz and various law partners, including Weinberg, worked out of offices at 2141 P St., N.W., just off of Dupont Circle, in the heart of the city’s most visible gay neighborhood.
Shortly after moving his law practice to Fort Lauderdale in 2009, Steinmetz opened an office on Wilton Drive in the heart of Wilton Manors, a small city that boasts of having the Ft. Lauderdale area’s highest concentration of LGBT residents.
“Cal was a great friend, a great athlete and a great lawyer,” said Lori Bott and Geri English in a Facebook message.
In addition to Boyle, Steinmetz is survived by his sister, Barbara Parker, his nephew Jody Parker and Parker’s wife Jordana, and his niece Mara Smith and her husband Mike.
“Donations in his memory should be made to your local No Kill Animal Shelter or Rescue League,” Boyle said.
A celebration of life gathering in Steinmetz’s honor was scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, at the Fort Lauderdale LGBT community center known as Pride Center-Equality Park in Wilton Manors, Fla.
Weinberg said a celebration of life gathering in D.C. is expected to be held Jan. 17 at a time and location to be announced soon.
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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