Local

Comings & Goings

Honor for Corado; new post for Nosanchuk

Published

10 years ago

May 20, 2016

Peter Rosenstein

Comings & Goings, gay news, Washington Blade

The ‘Comings & Goings’ column chronicles important life changes of Blade readers.

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].

Dan Flave-Novak

Congratulations to Roosevelt University student Dan Flave-Novak, for winning a prestigious fellowship. “Dan’s groundbreaking PsyD dissertation looks at body image in the gay community. He will have the rare honor of becoming one of only nine U.S. Veterans Administration post-doctoral fellows to be trained beginning later this year in helping veterans with LGBTQ mental health issues,” according to a press release.

“I’m very excited to be a part of this new initiative which will allow me to make a difference in the lives of veterans who have recently begun to identify as LGBTQ in the VA system,” Flave-Novak said. “I believe it will be a great opportunity for me to have influence and an impact on how the VA system works with LGBTQ veterans now and in the future.” Dan will be spending his year as a post-doctoral fellow at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center.

Flave-Novak has been a doctoral student since 2011 in Roosevelt’s nationally recognized PsyD program. He trained in several psychology and counseling departments, including Chicago’s Howard Brown Center, one of the largest LGTBQ health organizations in the nation. He worked for many years for Ohio Rep. Sherrod Brown in Washington, assisting in the fight to repeal “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”

Matt Nosanchuk

Congratulations also to Matt Nosanchuk who joined the State Department as Senior Advisor in the Office of Religion and Global Affairs in the Office of the Secretary. Nosanchuk has served President Obama in several positions prior to starting at the State Department. Most recently he was the President’s Liaison to the American Jewish community in the Office of Public Engagement and also served as Director for Outreach on the National Security Council. During the first three years of the administration, Nosanchuk was Senior Counselor in the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department, where he was the point person on LGBT issues and worked on challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act that led to the Supreme Court’s historic decision in United States v. Windsor.

Nosanchuk was born in Windsor, Canada, grew up in the Detroit area and went to college and law school at Stanford. Since moving to Washington, he has worked in the private, public, and non-profit sectors, including on Capitol Hill on the House Judiciary Committee Minority Staff, and as Counsel for Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida. In 2013, he received the American Bar Association’s inaugural Stonewall Award in recognition of his professional contributions to advancing LGBT civil rights and the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award for his work on the Defense of Marriage Act litigation.

Ruby Corado, Casa Ruby, gay news, Washington Blade

Ruby Corado
(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Congratulations also to Ruby Corado, who will be honored along with the LGBTQ women of the Obama administration at the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice 2016 Fueling the Frontlines dinner.

Born in El Salvador, Corado fled to the United States at age 16 when the Salvadoran Civil War erupted. She eventually moved to Washington, D.C. Self-identifying as a “D.C. Humanist-Transgender woman” Corado has spent more than 20 years advocating for the inclusion of transgender, genderqueer, and gender non-conforming gay, lesbian, and bisexual people in mainstream society.

In 2004, she founded Casa Ruby in D.C. Last year, Corado told NPR, “Most of the people who come to Casa Ruby don’t have a family that accepts them, or that loves them for the most part. So we have a family here, and it is the concept of a chosen family.” Casa Ruby now has three homes, which include housing for homeless youth and adults, food service, job training, and medical and employment advocates.

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District of Columbia

Blade welcomes fall intern

Alexis McLean is student at University of North Florida

Published

5 days ago

September 2, 2026

Staff reports

Alexis McLean (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

The Washington Blade this week welcomed Alexis McLean as its fall intern.

Alexis is studying political science at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla. She is interning with the Blade as part of a continued partnership with the Washington Center.

“I am looking forward to spending my time in the fall with the Washington Blade, as this is a new experience for me,” said Alexis. “I have not experienced any journalist jobs in the past so this would be my first time, and I am excited to better my writing and communications skills with this internship.”

Alexis’s internship with the Blade ends in early December.

Rehoboth Beach

SUNFESTIVAL takes center stage as Rehoboth Beach closes out summer

Labor Day Weekend bustling with events, including David Archuleta performance

Published

5 days ago

September 1, 2026

Thomas Weaverling

David Archuleta headlines this year’s SUNFESTIVAL on Saturday in Rehoboth Beach. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Labor Day Weekend marks the unofficial end of summer in Rehoboth Beach, but there will be no shortage of LGBTQ events, with CAMP Rehoboth’s annual SUNFESTIVAL taking over town this weekend.

Thursday (9/3)

Get your Labor Day Weekend started early Thursday night with happy hour from 5-7 p.m. at Diego’s Bar & Nightclub, followed by Naughtee Bingo hosted by Magnolia Applebottom at 8:30 p.m.

After bingo, the party continues with Dancing at Diego’s from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Aqua Bar & Grill will also kick off its Labor Day Weekend festivities Thursday with a DJ spinning from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

Friday (9/4)

The weekend ramps up Friday night at Aqua, where DJ Matt Bailer will keep the dance floor moving from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

Over at Diego’s, DJ Steve Sidewalk will then take over Diego’s for Freedom Friday from 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m.

Saturday (9/5)

The main event of the weekend arrives Saturday with the opening night of CAMP Rehoboth’s SUNFESTIVAL.

Billed as the ultimate party to close out the summer, SUNFESTIVAL has become one of Rehoboth’s signature Labor Day Weekend events. The annual celebration sells out each year, with proceeds benefiting CAMP Rehoboth.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with refreshments available at the cash bar while attendees are invited to socialize and find their seats.

Saturday night will feature local singer Ashley Williams as the opening performer, followed by headliner David Archuleta. The event will also feature a live auction.

Back across town Saturday, Aqua will continue its Labor Day Weekend DJ lineup from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Diego’s will also have plenty happening, with ‘Splash Party’ hosted by Magnolia Applebottom at 5 p.m., followed by a Saturday Dance Party with Brett Oosterhaus from 9 p.m.- 1:30 a.m.

The Blue Moon hosts its popular Legends Show at 9 p.m. It’s an all-live singing show by the Blue Moon cast of celebrity impersonators.

Etienne Pilon has taken Rehoboth by storm this summer. Check out the talented singer/pianist at The Pines from 7-10 p.m.

Sunday (9/6)

Sunday’s SUNFESTIVAL event will shift the focus to the dance floor, with globally renowned DJs Robbie Leslie and James Anthony scheduled to perform. Doors open at 7 p.m., with dancing continuing until 1 a.m.

On Sunday, Aqua will throw its annual White Party, with DJs spinning from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Guests are encouraged to dress in white for the holiday weekend celebration.

Diego’s will host its Sunday High T-Dance with Pamala Stanley at 5 p.m. Later that evening, DJ Tannr will be spinning at 9 p.m.

John Flynn is on the piano from 6-8 p.m. at the Blue Moon.

Monday (9/7)

The final day of Labor Day Weekend brings one last chance to hit the dance floor before summer officially winds down.

Aqua will close out its five-day Labor Day Weekend celebration with DJ Biff from 3-7 p.m.

Maryland

Anne Arundel schools now need parent permission to call trans students by preferred names

Conservative groups challenged system’s policy

Published

5 days ago

September 1, 2026

Baltimore Banner

Anne Arundel County Public Schools has issued new internal guidance for students who ask to be addressed by gender-affirming names and pronouns. (Photo by Eric Thompson for the Baltimore Banner)

By JESSICA CALEFATI | Anne Arundel County Public Schools staff cannot use transgender students’ preferred names if their parents oppose it, according to an internal document reviewed by the Banner, a change that comes after conservative groups challenged the school system’s approach to gender identity.

Teachers union president Kristina Korona told members in an Aug. 20 email that the new guidance undermines district policy on acceptance and inclusivity and “will begin harming affected students immediately.”

Previously, the district didn’t require parental permission to use a high school student’s chosen name and pronouns corresponding to their gender identity, the internal document says. Now it does. The change comes as parents challenge the suburban school system’s gender identity policy and regulation in court and the Trump-Vance administration threatens the district’s funding.

The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.