Local
Comings & Goings
Iraq vet lands new post; Movahedi teaching law in Spain
From left, Allison Jaslow, Babek Movahedi and Anthony Shop.
The Comings and 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 are in order to Allison Jaslow, who has just been named director of Political and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization representing post-9/11 veterans and their families. Jaslow has joined the team to support IAVA’s growing D.C.-based policy operations. Jaslow is a former Army captain who served two combat deployments in Iraq.
According to IAVA founder and CEO Paul Rieckhoff, “Allison is a proven leader with a wealth of diverse political experience inside and outside the Beltway. Allison’s command of the political spectrum on Capitol Hill and the campaign trail, and first-hand knowledge of veteran’s issues will be a tremendous asset to our growing, dynamic policy team.”
Jaslow’s new job will have her working to support the development of IAVA’s annual policy agenda and advocacy campaigns. She will lead IAVA’s engagement with other Veterans Service Organizations, government agencies and advocacy organizations. Jaslow has a diversity of experience, including stints on political campaigns across the country, in the White House and on both sides of Capitol Hill. She recently served as chief of staff and campaign manager for Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) and had also served as press secretary for Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), where she was involved in the veteran leader’s efforts to protect the legacy of the post-9/11 GI Bill.
On her appointment, Jaslow said, “I’m proud to be one of the one percent of Americans who can relate to those who saw combat after 9/11 and even prouder to have the opportunity to join an incredible organization that gives our entire generation of veterans a voice. IAVA’s advocacy has made an indelible impact on the lives of countless veterans and military families, and I’m thrilled to play a part in keeping us in the center of important public debates.”
Jaslow graduated from the University of Central Missouri, where she was a proud member of the Fighting Mules ROTC Battalion. She also serves on the Board of Trustees at Wentworth Military Academy and College.
Congratulations also to Babak Movahedi, a former D.C. and Miami resident now living in Barcelona, Spain. Babak is now a professor of Law and Business at ESERP Business School in Barcelona teaching MBA students. He is also working with Democrats Abroad to enroll as many Americans as possible in the Democratic Party. Democrats Abroad is given state-level recognition by the Democratic National Committee. He is a vice president of Democrats Abroad/Barcelona.
Most in the District know Movahedi from his time here as owner of MOVA on P Street, N.W. He also had two outlets of MOVA in Miami for a number of years. The one in South Beach was the ‘place to be’ for the gay community for many years. During his time in Miami, he was a Special Master/Magistrate for the City of Miami Beach and served as one of three Judicial Officers for the City of Miami Beach.
Another who should be congratulated is Anthony Shop, who is now an adjunct lecturer in the George Washington University School of Business where he received his MBA. Shop is a co-founder of the digital marketing agency Social Driver with his husband Thomas. A former journalist and press secretary, Shop is the first new media professional to be elected to the prestigious National Press Club’s Board of Governors. He founded the Club’s popular “Get It Online” digital media series, which has hosted luminaries from CNN, NASA and the White House to discuss media trends. His views on digital media have been featured by the BBC, CBS and USA Today, and he has been featured as a keynote speaker at conferences across the globe, from Singapore and London to New York and Miami.
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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