Local
Comings & Goings: Andrew Magie and Curtis Tate
Curtis Tate leaving D.C. for Record newspaper in N.J.
The ‘Comings & Goings’ column chronicles important life changes of Blade readers.
The Comings & 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].
Curtis Tate
Congratulations to Curtis Tate who on July 24 will join the North Jersey Media Group to report on New Jersey Transit and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for The Record newspaper. North Jersey Media Group, part of the USA Today Network, is the leading provider of news and marketing services in northern New Jersey. The Record is an award-winning daily newspaper reaching nearly half a million readers a day with local, investigative and enterprise reporting. Forty-nine community newspapers circulate to 778,000 households across Bergen, Passaic, Essex, Morris, Hudson and Sussex counties.
Upon announcing his new position Tate said, “That’s right, a job that involves writing about bridges, tunnels and trains. Of course, this means packing up and leaving Washington after nine years and doing a U-turn back to the state where I lived before Obama, Trump and Christie.”
During his time in D.C., Tate worked for the McClatchy Washington Bureau as a policy reporter covering transportation and transportation safety, including the highway trust fund, crude by rail, positive train control, airport terminal and tower upgrades, and the expansion of major ports. He also did a stint as a regional reporter covering Kentucky, Kansas and southern Illinois issues and as a night and weekend editor responsible for managing the bureau budget, updating the website and coordinating coverage of major breaking news. Prior to coming to D.C., Tate worked for the Wall Street Journal as a copy editor and creator of headlines and display type for front page; writer and editor of front-page news summaries and collaborated with editors and reporters on stories in all sections. Prior to that he was with the Indianapolis Star.
Tate served two terms as president of the D.C. chapter of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalism Association. In 2015, he won a Freddie Award from the National Press Foundation and in 2014 was a finalist for a California Journalism Award. He has a bachelor’s in journalism with minors in political science and geography from the University of Kentucky.
Congratulations also to Andrew Magie, who landed a summer internship with The LGBT Health Policy & Practice Program at the George Washington University. This nationally respected certificate program was founded by Stephen L. Forssell, Ph.D. Dr. Forssell has said “The LGBT Health, Policy & Practice Graduate Certificate Program was developed with the assistance and consultation of health care and policy professionals in the government and private industry. The first of its kind in applied LGBT health, our program trains current and future healthcare leaders on strategies for addressing LGBT health issues, reducing health disparities for LGBT people, and for moving the field forward toward a more inclusive, equitable state.”
Magie is a rising sophomore at the George Washington University majoring in political science and physics and aspires to work in the Nuclear Energy Institute lobbying for the safe and environmentally friendly generation of nuclear power. He grew up in Templeton, a small town in the central coast of California. He is a well-known oboist in San Luis Obispo County and continues to play in GW’s bands, orchestras, and chamber ensembles as a principle oboist and was elected vice president of the University Orchestra for the 2017-2018 school year. He is also an Eagle Scout.
Andrew Magie
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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