Local
Gun control rally set for site near National Mall
New gay group endorses Saturday event
The D.C. chapter of Gays Against Guns has endorsed Saturday’s gun control rally. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
As many as 10,000 or more people are expected to turn out on Saturday, Aug. 13, for an “LGBTQ and Allies Rally for Reasonable Gun Control and Human Rights” at a park near the National Mall in Washington, D.C., according to its lead organizer.
New Jersey celebrity hairdresser and gay activist Jason Hayes said a Facebook page he created to promote the event drew more than 22,000 shares less than two weeks after he launched it. He said he decided to organize the rally shortly after the June 12 shooting rampage in Orlando, Fla., that claimed the lives of 49 mostly LGBT people of color at the gay nightclub Pulse.
“As a gay man, I know all too well how often people in our communities are targeted for violence,” Hayes said in a statement. “But these issues touch many people and other communities also struggle daily with the impact of hatred and violence. We understand that and want to stand together with anyone who feels disenfranchised and threatened,” he said.
“I believe that Americans have a reasonable right to guns, but we also ALL have a reasonable right to feel safe,” his statement says.
The rally, which is also being billed as an event to “Disarm Hate,” is scheduled to take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, in a section of West Potomac Park located between Independence Avenue and Ohio Drive near the FDR and Martin Luther King memorials. The site is sometimes used for polo matches.
Hayes told the Blade donations from supporters enabled organizers to arrange for a stage, a powerful loud speaker system and at least one large video screen. He said entertainers were scheduled to perform and several prominent speakers who he didn’t identify were expected to address the crowd.
A list of 58 organizations that have endorsed the rally, including the Brady Campaign To End Gun Violence and the Matthew Shepard Foundation, is posted on the rally’s website, www.disarmhate2016.com. The Shepard Foundation is one of just four LGBT groups that had signed on as endorsees as of Tuesday. The other LGBT groups include the Trevor Project, Gays Against Guns (from an undisclosed city), and the Stonewall Democratic Club.
The D.C. Chapter of Gays Against Guns voted Tuesday night to endorse the rally and encourage its members and supporters to attend, according to the chapter’s co-founder Phil Attey.
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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