Local
Local transgender activist arrested on murder charge
Gigi Thomas received Capital Pride award in 2007
Gigi Thomas (Photo courtesy Facebook)
LGBT activists were startled to learn earlier this week that Prince George’s County police on Oct. 16 charged veteran transgender activist Gigi Thomas with first-degree murder for allegedly stabbing to death a 47-year-old man inside her residence in Temple Hills, Md.
A police statement of probable cause filed in court says police were called to the address of 5712 Linda Lane in Temple Hills, where Thomas lived, about 7:50 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16. Upon arrival they found Devale Lamont Avery of Fort Washington suffering from multiple stab wounds to the upper body, the statement says. It says Avery was pronounced dead on the scene by emergency firefighters who also responded to the scene.
“Primarily, it appears an argument between the suspect and victim escalated into the fatal stabbing,” a separate police statement says. “Thomas is facing a charge of first-degree murder and is being held on a no bond status at the Department of Corrections,” the statement says.
The statement of probable cause says that after being transported to a police facility for questioning Thomas waived her Miranda rights and admitted “involvement in the murder of Devale Lamont Avery.”
Cyndee Clay, executive director of the D.C. group Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive (HIPS), said Thomas served as a client advocate for the group from 2002 to 2009, when she left to pursue a master’s degree in social work at Howard University. Clay said she attended Thomas’s graduation ceremony at Howard.
Thomas also served on the board of directors for the D.C.-based group Transgender Health Empowerment (THE).
In a 2004 report published by the International Foundation for Gender Educations, D.C. attorney and transgender advocate Lisa Mottet wrote that Thomas and fellow transgender advocate Earline Budd worked with her in carrying out trainings for employees of the city’s homeless shelters on how to best serve homeless transgender people.
Mottet wrote that Thomas in her work at HIPS “helps trans women on a daily basis to stay safe while they are engaging in sex work and helps connect them to services in an effort to help get them off the streets.”
In 2007, Thomas was among the honorees receiving the Capital Trans Pride committee’s Engendered Spirit Award for her contributions to the trans community.
Budd told the Blade she was shocked to learn that Thomas had been arrested on a murder charge, saying Thomas worked most recently as a mental health case manager at a psychiatric facility on Bladensburg Road, N.E.
“She is one of the highly recognized transgender women of D.C,” Budd said.
“We’re all kind of in shock and we’re very concerned,” Clay told the Blade. “This is not something that we would expect at all. Here at HIPS we’re just trying to do whatever we can to support her. She was well loved here.”
Added Clay, “She’s done so much for the community. She cared so greatly for so many people when she was a client advocate here at HIPS and she continued to be a respected colleague.”
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.
I don’t see the point in a relationship
Julius’ Bar ‘sip-in’ laid groundwork for Stonewall
Trans parent charged with kidnapping, allegedly fled to Cuba with child
Rehoboth Summer Kickoff Party set for May 15 with Ashley Biden
Curve magazine honors Washington Blade publisher
Inside the lonely world of MAGA gay men
Wagons ho! High-class, head-turning haulers
Rorschach stages ‘Dragon Play’ in unlikely, raw space
‘Big Mistakes’ an uneven – but worthy – comedic showcase
