Local
Baltimore mayor’s LGBT liaison dies
Mallisham succumbs to pancreatitis
Demetrius Mallisham died at age 46. (Photo courtesy mayor’s office)
Demetrius Mallisham, the mayor’s liaison to Baltimore’s LGBT community, died at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore on April 28 due to complications from pancreatitis. He was 46.
Mallisham was born in Newark, N.J., and was an “Army brat” living mostly in Ft. Belvoir, Va. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Radford University and had worked in various jobs. One of those was in Prince George’s County where he was trying to get gang members back on the right track. Mallisham eventually moved to Baltimore and served in the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhoods.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake released a statement on the day of his death. “All of us who worked with, and loved, Demetrius knew him as being constantly upbeat, enthusiastic and eager to help,” she said. “For someone who was not originally from Baltimore city, he made Charm City his home. I will never forget the number of times I joined a neighborhood event and saw him joyfully interacting with community members and children. What a champion of our city.”
For his service to the LGBT community as the Mayor’s Liaison, he received an award from The Center for Black Equity Baltimore in October 2014.
“Working for Madame Mayor is a blessing that I don’t take for granted,” Mallisham told the Blade at the time. “She makes my job easy by being a true ally to the LGBTQ community.”
Mallisham was well liked within Baltimore’s LGBT community.
“Demetrius was a good man. He was a bright soul always helping people and willing to find ways to help folks help themselves,” Merrick Moises, a close friend, told the Blade. “His death is quite shocking. I am comforted by the fact that he will always be loved and remembered for the light he carried with him and the joy he gave to others. He will be missed so much.”
His brother Mark Mallisham told the Blade that Demetrius was an advocate for all people. “His life mission was to help all people. He had a caring soul and was the nicest person I knew besides our Mom.”
A wake is planned for May 5 at 10:30 a.m., and the funeral is to take place at 11 a.m. at New Waverly United Methodist Church, 644 E. 33rd St., Baltimore 21218.
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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