Local
Local security company hires 5 trans women
Move follows anti-trans assault at Giant Food
A security guard at the Giant Food store at 3rd and H streets, N.E., is accused of assaulting a trans woman. (Photo by Ser Amantio di Nicolao; courtesy Wikimedia Commons)
An Oxon Hill, Md., based security company has hired five transgender women as part of an outreach program established after a security guard at a Giant Food store in D.C. was arrested for allegedly assaulting a transgender woman for using the women’s bathroom.
The company, Washington Fields Protective Services, had no connection to the security guard arrested at the Giant Food store on H Street, N.E. But according to longtime D.C. transgender activist Earline Budd, one of the company’s top officials reached out to her after observing the extensive media coverage of the arrest of the guard at the Giant.
At the time of the arrest, Giant announced that the guard, Francine Jones, 45, had been hired and placed at the Giant by another security company.
D.C. police charged Jones with misdemeanor simple assault after receiving a 911 emergency call from Ebony Belcher, 32, who reported being forcibly ejected from the woman’s bathroom and shoved out of the store’s entrance by Jones.
Belcher told the Washington Blade that before physically removing her from the store, which police said constituted an assault, Jones burst into the bathroom and began hurling anti-transgender slurs at her, humiliating her on grounds that trans women were not allowed to use women’s restrooms in D.C.
D.C. officials quickly rebuked that claim, pointing out that the D.C. Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination against transgender people and allows them to use a public bathroom that matches their gender identity.
Budd, meanwhile, said an official with Washington Fields Protective Services asked her to refer prospective transgender people as candidates for the company’s training program for security guards and other security related jobs. Budd, who works as an outreach official with the local social services group HIPS D.C., arranged for HIPS to refer five trans women to the company.
They have since completed most of the training program and have been hired by the company. Budd said three would become security guards and two would work in security related administrative positions.
D.C. Superior Court records show that the U.S. Attorney’s office, which is prosecuting Jones, elevated the assault charge against her in July to a bias-related offense, which could result in a more stringent sentence if she is convicted. Court records show her trial was scheduled to begin on Dec. 6.
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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