Local

Family, friends celebrate birthday of slain gay man

Mickens-Murrey found stabbed to death on May 30

Published

9 years ago

November 15, 2017

Lou Chibbaro Jr.

Matthew Mickens-Murrey, gay news, Washington Blade

Matthew Mickens-Murrey would have turned 27 on Nov. 9.

Nine members of the family, including the mother and sister, of a 26-year-old gay man who was found stabbed to death in his Hyattsville, Md., apartment on May 30 traveled from Pennsylvania to D.C. on Nov. 9 to celebrate what would have been Matthew Mickens-Murrey’s 27th birthday.

Mickens-Murrey’s family members joined more than a dozen of his friends and supporters in the upstairs lounge of Nellie’s Sports Bar at a gathering organized by Impulse D.C., an entertainment and advocacy group that provides HIV and education related services for black gay men.

With at least three local TV news camera crews looking on, the family members and friends, led by Impulse D.C. President Devin Barrington-Ward, called on Prince George’s County police to step up the investigation into the unsolved murder. Petitions were circulated calling on police and local political leaders to “put more effort into ensuring Justice for Matt.”

Barrington-Ward said in a statement that the event was aimed at celebrating the life of the well-liked guy they knew as Matt, raising awareness, and “re-engaging the public in the cold case murder” of Mickens-Murrey.

“Matt, who publicly identified as a Black gay man, frequented Nellie’s Sports Bar, an LGBTQ establishment, and one of the last places he was seen alive,” the statement says.

It says Impulse D.C. and Mickens-Murrey’s friends and family members were also calling on D.C. police to more aggressively investigate the unsolved murders of two other black gay men in D.C.

A model and rapper named Demencio Lewis, 23, was shot to death in a hail of gunfire on March 13, 2014, on a street in Southeast D.C., according to police. A little over a year later, D.C. police found Stephon Marquis Perkins, 21, lying unconscious on a street in Southeast D.C. suffering from a gunshot wound to the head on June 25, 2015. Police said he was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Neither Prince George’s County police nor D.C. police responded to a request by the Washington Blade last week for an update on the status of the investigations into the three murders.

Melody Murrey, Mickens-Murrey’s mother, told the Blade at the gathering at Nellie’s last week that a P.G. County police investigator said her son was stabbed multiple times. She said the investigator also said there were no signs of a forced entry into the apartment, leading police to believe Mickens-Murrey knew his attacker and invited him into the apartment.

“They said they found DNA but they were still waiting for it to be tested by the FBI,” Melody Murrey said. “We just don’t know why it’s taking so long.”

Melody Murrey and her daughter Naja Murrey said Mickens-Murrey was out to his family and was loved “for who he was.”

“What message does it send to the community when they constantly see other black LGBTQ people being murdered over a short span of time and those victims, their families, friends, and community never receive justice?” said Barrington-Ward. “This is about accountability as well as public safety for black LGBTQ people,” he said. “Black Lives Matter and that includes Black LGBTQ people too.”

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Baltimore

Popular Mount Vernon gay bar Leon’s to temporarily close after owner’s death

Ron Singer passed away on July 7

Published

2 days ago

July 17, 2026

Baltimore Banner

Leon’s Backroom Bar in Mount Vernon. (Photo by Jessica Gallagher for the Baltimore Banner)

By WESLEY CASE | Leon’s Backroom, Baltimore’s oldest gay bar, temporarily shut down after service on Wednesday night, according to a post on the business’s Instagram page.

The announcement comes a little more than a week after the death of the Mount Vernon bar’s owner, Ron Singer, who died at 66 on July 7.

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

Local

Comings & Goings

New garden center offers array of products in Rehoboth

Published

2 days ago

July 17, 2026

Peter Rosenstein

Bay Laurel Home & Garden is located just outside Rehoboth on Route 1.

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].

Congratulations to Stuart Ortel and Scott Marker, and Dave Lyons and Rick Hardy, on the recent opening of their garden center on Route 1 in Rehoboth Beach, in the former Farmer Girl site. It is called Bay Laurel Home and Garden and debuted earlier this year. The four owners are all well known to the denizens of Rehoboth Beach.

Stuart and Scott have been active members of the Rehoboth Beach community since 1999. Stuart is a landscape architect, and has established relationships with many local folks in the building and landscape industry. When this opportunity for Bay Laurel Home & Garden presented itself, and they had the perfect team of people in place, he and Scott were committed to making it a reality. So, when Scott and Stuart introduced this opportunity to create a new garden center to Dave and Rick, they embraced the chance to cultivate a business where beautiful plants, inspiring home and garden products, and outstanding customer service come together. Dave and Rick knew about owning a business in Rehoboth as they previously owned Coho’s Market, where they discovered firsthand the value of serving their community, and the rewards of running a locally owned business.

The garden center launched with a refreshed brand identity, updated merchandising, and expanded product lines, all designed to create an inspiring and welcoming environment for your home. Bay Laurel Home & Garden offers a beautifully appointed garden center and curated home and gift shop.

The new center features a full nursery with annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, and seasonal selections; a garden center offering pottery, fountains, and garden ornamentation, and essential tools and garden supplies. It has a garden shop featuring unique indoor/outdoor furnishings and accessories, and a gift shop featuring botanical and coastal style items for home and entertaining.

Rehoboth Beach

Celebrate Pride in Rehoboth Beach this weekend

‘A vital space for community, healing, and connection’

Published

4 days ago

July 15, 2026

Thomas Weaverling

Rehoboth’s Pride festivities kick off Friday. (Washington Blade file photo by Daniel Truitt)

Pride in Rehoboth Beach is kicking off this week on Friday, July 17, with events happening throughout the weekend.

“Rehoboth Beach Pride is more than a festival — it is a vital space for community, healing, and connection,” said David Mariner, director of Sussex Pride, which organizes many of the events.

The weekend will begin with the Grand Opening & Community Preview from 1-4 p.m. on Friday, July 17, celebrating the opening of Novus Medical Services and the new Sussex Pride Community Center.

This will be followed by an Interfaith Pride Service at 6 p.m. at the Metropolitan Community Church Rehoboth to gather for healing and the affirmation of queer spirituality with Rev. Carla Christopher, chair of Sussex Pride Faith.

Members of the community are then invited to head over to join the Rehoboth Beach Bears at the Pines to have dinner, mingle, and give back to local initiatives.

End the first night of Pride in Rehoboth at Diego’s Bar & Nightclub with music by DJ Joey P from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

Rehoboth Beach Pride Festival will take place on Saturday, July 18, 2026, from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. inside the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center. A full list of events is available at rehobothbeachpride.org.

Roxy Overbrooke will host on the main stage as live performances take place throughout the day, featuring music from DJ MK and Tribe 9 Entertainment.

The festival will include educational workshops, community meetups, and a raffle dedicated to raising funds for unhoused LGBTQ+ youth across Delaware.

Feature workshops include panels discussing topics such as unhoused LGBTQ+ youth in Delaware, the needs of trans and non-binary youth, as well as the increase in HIV and syphilis diagnoses amid federal budget cuts, in a panel moderated by Blade Editor Kevin Naff.

Saturday night will also feature an evening comedy and entertainment show at the Convention Center presented by the Gay Women of Rehoboth. Performers will include comedians Suzanne Westen h oefer and Karen Mills as well as musician Kristen Merlin. Tickets are available at gaywomenofrehoboth.org.

The Rehoboth Beach Pride Ride will take place at 10 a.m. on Sunday, July 19, hosted by the Dykes on Bikes Rehoboth Beach Women’s Motorcycle Club, starting at Lefty’s.

Goolee’s Drag Brunch will also take place on Sunday from 12-2 p.m at Goolee’s Grille. This is a family-friendly event hosted by Regina Cox and Ruby, featuring Aurora Sterling, Michelle Leigh Sterling, Scarlet St. Cartier, and Joanna Blue. Tickets can be purchased online.

Pride in Rehoboth will conclude at 2 p.m. with the official Rehoboth Beach Pride Closing Party at Aqua Bar & Grill, celebrating the venue’s landmark 20th anniversary with DJ Biff until 7 p.m.

Due to an influx of visitors for the summer season, those coming from out-of-town are encouraged to use the Park & Ride.