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Rehoboth’s Sundance party returns this weekend

Dance, auction to be held in memory of co-founder Steve Elkins

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Sundance 2018, gay news, Washington Blade

The Sundance dance party is a Rehoboth Beach Labor Day tradition. (Washington Blade photo by Daniel Truitt)

Sundance 2018

 

Rainbow XXXI: In the Name of Love

 

Auction: Saturday, Sept. 1

 

7-10 p.m.

 

Dance: Sunday, Sept. 2

 

7 p.m.-2 a.m.

 

$80 for both events or $45 for one

 

Rehoboth Beach Convention Center

 

229 Rehoboth Ave.

 

Rehoboth Beach, Del.

 

302-227-5620

Sundance, the annual CAMP Rehoboth Labor Day weekend tradition, will be somewhat bittersweet this year.

Sundance 2018: Rainbow XXXI: In the Name of Love” will be held this weekend to benefit CAMP Rehoboth in memory of the late Steve Elkins, who died in March from lymphoma. He was 67.

Steve Elkins, CAMP Rehoboth, gay news, Washington Blade

The late Steve Elkins (left) with husband Murray Archibald. The two founded Sundance more than 30 years ago. Elkins died in March. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Sundance was created by CAMP Rehoboth founders Elkins and his husband Murray Archibald in response to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. Archibald had been Elkins’ husband and partner for 40 years at the time of Elkins’ death. They decided to make Sundance a dance party with the purpose of raising money for AIDS charities. Archibald said in an article of a recent issue of Letters from CAMP Rehoboth that many people were dying and there was no treatment for AIDS at the time.

“It was 1988. We were losing friends left and right. We were still living in New York in those days but spending a lot of time down here,” Archibald says. “It was terrible, and we wanted to do something. It was our 10th anniversary party, Steve and mine, and everybody in our house down here wanted to do something. And I said, well, we wanted to make it a fundraiser. We did a lot of events actually back then — dance events — so we thought that would be a great way to make money.”

The Sundance Auction will be held on Saturday, Sept. 1 with an open bar, food by Plate Catering, music by Stephen Strasser and silent and live auctions. On Sunday, Sept. 2, there will be a dance party from 7 p.m.-2 a.m. with an open bar, Joe Gauthreaux as DJ and special guest Studio 54/Saint DJ Robbie Leslie. Both events will be held at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center.

There was no auction the first year; it was added the second year. Initially, the auction happened right before the dance, but a couple years later, the auction and dance were separated into different events. Sundance has always been held on Labor Day weekend and has become a tradition.

Sundance has received an increasing amount of support and sponsorship over the years, raising more than $2 million overall.

“It’s grown. It just keeps growing. It has for years,” Archibald says. “We have tremendous community support for it. I think its growth is probably the main thing and the support that it gets. The way we’ve raised money has changed. For a good while, it was only AIDS work, and a lot of it went to Sussex County AIDS Council and helped them stay afloat.”

Archibald says when CAMP got started, its volunteers quickly began expanding AIDS services they were doing and started splitting the money raised from Sundance between CAMP and the Sussex County AIDS Council. By the time the Sussex County AIDS Council closed, CAMP was doing a lot of AIDS work and other kinds of health-related work. The money raised from Sundance has been used for CAMP Rehoboth for years now. Archibald said Sundance raised $6,000 its first year and now raises around $120,000-125,000 per year.

Elkins and Archibald have advocated for LGBT rights in Rehoboth for decades. There was tension between the gay and straight communities in the late ‘80s into the early ‘90s, with one group in town that started a campaign with bumper stickers that read, “Keep Rehoboth A Family Town.” In response, Elkins and Archibald decided to open CAMP Rehoboth, looking to promote inclusion for all.

“During the ‘80s, Rehoboth had grown tremendously as a gay resort. Gay people had been coming here for a long time,” Archibald says. “During that time, there was the Strand, which was controversial because of its location. It was open for seven years. It was a huge club. The Renegade was just outside of town. Those were two big dance clubs, and we had people coming, the crowds had gotten bigger. Everything had changed in that decade.”

Elkins and Archibald wanted to ease stress and build bridges. They developed CAMP Rehoboth with the mindset that it would work within the community, making the decision to not be “in your face” or “radical.” They wanted to work with people. Elkins and Archibald started using the language of making Rehoboth a place with “room for all.” Archibald said that when Elkins died earlier this year, the press was using that language to describe CAMP Rehoboth, showing that it worked.

The influence that Elkins and Archibald have had over the years can be seen on a statewide level, with then-Gov. Jack Markell adding sexual orientation to Delaware’s anti-discrimination law in 2009, which was signed by Markell at CAMP Rehoboth on Elkins’ birthday. Additionally, Elkins and the current president of the CAMP Rehoboth Board of Directors, Chris Beagle, testified in support of the legalization of civil unions in Delaware in 2011.

On July 1, 2013, Beagle and his husband, Eric Engelhart, decided to have their wedding ceremony at the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center because they wanted to make the occasion a celebration for the entire community. Beagle and Engelhart were selected to be the first same-sex couple to marry in Sussex County by then Sussex County Justice of the Peace, John Brady, after the legalization of same-sex marriage in Delaware.

“I gave several press interviews immediately after Steve’s passing in March, and in virtually every one of them I mentioned that I’ve had many proud moments representing CAMP Rehoboth over the years here on the board,” Beagle says. “Next to marrying my husband, Eric Engelhart, on the stage of the CAMP Community Center on July 1, 2013, my other proudest moment was testifying with Steve Elkins for the civil union legislation in 2011. He was a mentor to me in many ways, and he will always have a very special place in my heart for the leadership and difference he made in my life, and countless others. So many of us wouldn’t enjoy the life we have here today, and the protections we’re entitled too, if not for Steve Elkins and Murray Archibald.”

Beagle began volunteering for Sundance in 2006, making this his 13th year helping put it together. He has mostly worked with the decor crew and set-up team, along with Archibald and other key volunteers, many of whom have been helping Archibald for 20 years or more. Beagle also co-founded the Sundance 5k in 2010.

“It amazes us every year how Murray is able to create a visual masterpiece celebrating the particular theme of the year,” Beagle says. “A true camaraderie has evolved over these many years, and it has become a type of family reunion for many of us, something we all cherish very much. And nothing beats the sense of gratification we all share as the auction doors open at 7 p.m. The crowds start pouring in and we see the look of awe and amazement in their faces. At that moment, we know we’ve done good work.”

Natalie Moss began volunteering at CAMP Rehoboth in 1991. Moss has served as treasurer for both CAMP Rehoboth and the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center Project. She is also auction co-chair of Sundance and has been helping with the event for 28 years.

“We send out letters to all the businesses and ask them for donations. Then, we have callers and picker uppers that follow up on the letters and run around town to pick the stuff up,” Moss says. “We have a lot of individual people, as well as businesses, that give us stuff.”

Once the donations for the auction are brought to CAMP, Moss goes through them and lists them on spreadsheets. Once that’s done, the donations are brought over to the convention center where another team of volunteers displays them on the floor. Moss oversees the team that tallies the auction sheets. CAMP made the decision to use old-fashioned bid sheets because they want people to enjoy themselves and to not take away from their experience by them looking at their phones trying to bid on something.

“We get some really, really fun stuff. A lot of quirky things, games, books, glassware,” Moss says. “And the businesses give us gift certificates to restaurants — gift certificates for dinners and lunches and breakfast. Once it’s displayed, it looks beautiful.”

The Sundance auction will also have artwork, jewelry and a 60-inch TV among other things that will be up for bid. Moss says Sundance all comes together with the help of about 200 volunteers and the result has the appearance of a “fabulous-looking disco.”

The Sundance auction started 30 years ago. Organizers have intentionally kept it low tech — all the bidding takes place with paper and pen. (Photo courtesy CAMP Rehoboth)

Moss says working with Elkins was great and that everyone on the Sundance team had their role. She said Elkins did a lot behind the scenes. Elkins would run out and get whatever the Sundance team needed. He would negotiate with the liquor store to get more tonic and mixes, order lunches, pick up the lunches and did some computer work, which included printing pictures for the live auction. Moss said Elkins did everything to make sure the volunteers were taken care of.

“I used to be down here a lot, like I am now, and I’d have the music on. He was a very good singer, he had a very good voice. He used to sing in church. He would come down here and sing to me all the time, so I miss that,” Moss says. “So, Murray came in the other day. I said, ‘Are you going to sing to me?’ and he said, ‘No, you don’t want me to sing to you.’”

Monica Parr, who serves as CAMP Rehoboth’s administrative coordinator, is helping organize Sundance for her fourth year. She is managing the volunteers needed for the front-end production. Parr is working alongside Archibald taking over some of Elkins’ tasks.

“It was a joy to work with Steve. I knew Steve Elkins and Murray Archibald long before I began working at CAMP Rehoboth. I was a volunteer for Sundance almost from the beginning,” Parr says. “Steve was one of a kind. He was the kindest and most generous man you would ever meet. He would make sure that everyone felt welcome at CAMP, and at any event that CAMP Rehoboth sponsored. He will be truly missed.”

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Visit Cambridge, a ‘beautiful secret’ on Maryland’s Eastern Shore

New organization promotes town’s welcoming vibe, LGBTQ inclusion

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Cambridge, Md., is home to quaint shops, restaurants, and Victorian homes on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. (Photo courtesy James Lumalcuri)

CAMBRIDGE, Md. — Driving through this scenic, historic town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, you’ll be charmed by streets lined with unique shops, restaurants, and beautifully restored Victorian homes. You’ll also be struck by the number of LGBTQ Pride flags flying throughout the town.

The flags are a reassuring signal that everyone is welcome here, despite the town’s location in ruby red Dorchester County, which voted for Donald Trump over Kamala Harris by a lopsided margin. But don’t let that deter you from visiting. A new organization, Proudly Cambridge, is holding its debut Pride event this weekend, touting the town’s welcoming, inclusive culture.

“We stumbled on a beautiful secret and we wanted to help get the word out,” said James Lumalcuri of the effort to create Proudly Cambridge.

The organization celebrates diversity, enhances public spaces, and seeks to uplift all that Cambridge has to share, according to its mission statement, under the tagline “You Belong Here.”

The group has so far held informal movie nights and a picnic and garden party; the launch party is June 28 at the Cambridge Yacht Club, which will feature a Pride celebration and tea dance. The event’s 75 tickets sold out quickly and proceeds benefit DoCo Pride.

“Tickets went faster than we imagined and we’re bummed we can’t welcome everyone who wanted to come,” Lumalcuri said, adding that organizers plan to make “Cheers on the Choptank” an annual event with added capacity next year.

One of the group’s first projects was to distribute free Pride flags to anyone who requested one and the result is a visually striking display of a large number of flags flying all over town. Up next: Proudly Cambridge plans to roll out a program offering affirming businesses rainbow crab stickers to show their inclusiveness and LGBTQ support. The group also wants to engage with potential visitors and homebuyers.

“We want to spread the word outside of Cambridge — in D.C. and Baltimore — who don’t know about Cambridge,” Lumalcuri said. “We want them to come and know we are a safe haven. You can exist here and feel comfortable and supported by neighbors in a way that we didn’t anticipate when we moved here.”

James Lumalcuri and Lou Cardenas sailing in Cambridge, Md. The couple bought a second home there and are spreading the word about the town’s pro-LGBTQ culture. (Photo courtesy the couple)

Lumalcuri, 53, a federal government employee, and his husband, Lou Cardenas, 62, a Realtor, purchased a Victorian house in Cambridge in 2021 and embarked on an extensive renovation. The couple also owns a home in Adams Morgan in D.C.

“We saw the opportunity here and wanted to share it with others,” Cardenas said. “There’s lots of housing inventory in the $300-400,000 range … we’re not here to gentrify people out of town because a lot of these homes are just empty and need to be fixed up and we’re happy to be a part of that.”

Lumalcuri was talking with friends one Sunday last year at the gazebo (affectionately known as the “gayzebo” by locals) at the Yacht Club and the idea for Proudly Cambridge was born. The founding board members are Lumalcuri, Corey van Vlymen, Brian Orjuela, Lauren Mross, and Caleb Holland. The group is currently working toward forming a 501(c)3.

“We need visibility and support for those who need it,” Mross said. “We started making lists of what we wanted to do and the five of us ran with it. We started meeting weekly and solidified what we wanted to do.”

Mross, 50, a brand strategist and web designer, moved to Cambridge from Atlanta with her wife three years ago. They knew they wanted to be near the water and farther north and began researching their options when they discovered Cambridge.

“I had not heard of Cambridge but the location seemed perfect,” she said. “I pointed on a map and said this is where we’re going to move.”

The couple packed up, bought a camper trailer and parked it in different campsites but kept coming back to Cambridge. 

“I didn’t know how right it was until we moved here,” she said. “It’s the most welcoming place … there’s an energy vortex here – how did so many cool, progressive people end up in one place?” 

Corey van Vlymen and his husband live in D.C. and were looking for a second home. They considered Lost River, W.Va., but decided they preferred to be on the water.

“We looked at a map on both sides of the bay and came to Cambridge on a Saturday and bought a house that day,” said van Vlymen, 39, a senior scientist at Booz Allen Hamilton. They’ve owned in Cambridge for two years.

They were drawn to Cambridge due to its location on the water, the affordable housing inventory, and its proximity to D.C.; it’s about an hour and 20 minutes away.

Now, through the work of Proudly Cambridge, they hope to highlight the town’s many attributes to residents and visitors alike.

“Something we all agree on is there’s a perception problem for Cambridge and a lack of awareness,” van Vlymen said. “If you tell someone you’re going to Cambridge, chances are they think, ‘England or Massachusetts?’”

He cited the affordability and the opportunity to save older, historic homes as a big draw for buyers.

“It’s all about celebrating all the things that make Cambridge great,” Mross added. “Our monthly social events are joyful and celebratory.” A recent game night drew about 70 people.

She noted that the goal is not to gentrify the town and push longtime residents out, but to uplift all the people who are already there while welcoming new visitors and future residents. 

They also noted that Proudly Cambridge does not seek to supplant existing Pride-focused organizations. Dorchester County Pride organizes countywide Pride events and Delmarva Pride was held in nearby Easton two weeks ago.

“We celebrate all diversity but are gay powered and gay led,” Mross noted.  

To learn more about Proudly Cambridge, visit the group on Facebook and Instagram.

What to see and do

Cambridge, located 13 miles up the Choptank River from the Chesapeake Bay, has a population of roughly 15,000. It was settled in 1684 and named for the English university town in 1686. It is home to the Harriet Tubman Museum, mural, and monument. Its proximity to the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge makes it a popular stop for birders, drawn to more than 27,000 acres of marshland dubbed “the Everglades of the north.”

The refuge is walkable, bikeable, and driveable, making it an accessible attraction for all. There are kayaking and biking tours through Blackwater Adventures (blackwateradventuresmd.com).

Back in town, take a stroll along the water and through historic downtown and admire the architecture. Take in the striking Harriet Tubman mural (424 Race St.). Shop in the many local boutiques, and don’t miss the gay-owned Shorelife Home and Gifts (421 Race St.), filled with stylish coastal décor items. 

Stop for breakfast or lunch at Black Water Bakery (429 Race St.), which offers a full compliment of coffee drinks along with a build-your-own mimosa bar and a full menu of creative cocktails.

The Cambridge Yacht Club (1 Mill St.) is always bustling but you need to be a member to get in. Snapper’s on the water is temporarily closed for renovations. RaR Brewing (rarbrewing.com) is popular for craft beers served in an 80-year-old former pool hall and bowling alley. The menu offers burgers, wings, and other bar fare.

For dinner or wine, don’t miss the fantastic Vintage 414 (414 Race St.), which offers lunch, dinner, wine tasting events, specialty foods, and a large selection of wines. The homemade cheddar crackers, inventive flatbreads, and creative desserts (citrus olive oil cake, carrot cake trifle) were a hit on a recent visit.

Also nearby is Ava’s (305 High St.), a regional chain offering outstanding Italian dishes, pizzas, and more.  

For something off the beaten path, visit Emily’s Produce (22143 Church Creek Rd.) for its nursery, produce, and prepared meals.

“Ten minutes into the sticks there’s a place called Emily’s Produce, where you can pay $5 and walk through a field and pick sunflowers, blueberries, you can feed the goats … and they have great food,” van Vlymen said.

As for accommodations, there’s the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay (100 Heron Blvd. at Route 50), a resort complex with golf course, spa, and marina. Otherwise, check out Airbnb and VRBO for short-term rentals closer to downtown.

Its proximity to D.C. and Baltimore makes Cambridge an ideal weekend getaway. The large LGBTQ population is welcoming and they are happy to talk up their town and show you around. 

“There’s a closeness among the neighbors that I wasn’t feeling in D.C.,” Lumalcuri said. “We look after each other.”

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James Baldwin bio shows how much of his life is revealed in his work

‘A Love Story’ is first major book on acclaimed author’s life in 30 years

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(Book cover image courtesy of FSG)

‘Baldwin: A Love Story’
By Nicholas Boggs
c.2025, FSG
$35/704 pages

“Baldwin: A Love Story” is a sympathetic biography, the first major one in 30 years, of acclaimed Black gay writer James Baldwin. Drawing on Baldwin’s fiction, essays, and letters, Nicolas Boggs, a white writer who rediscovered and co-edited a new edition of a long-lost Baldwin book, explores Baldwin’s life and work through focusing on his lovers, mentors, and inspirations.

The book begins with a quick look at Baldwin’s childhood in Harlem, and his difficult relationship with his religious, angry stepfather. Baldwin’s experience with Orilla Miller, a white teacher who encouraged the boy’s writing and took him to plays and movies, even against his father’s wishes, helped shape his life and tempered his feelings toward white people. When Baldwin later joined a church and became a child preacher, though, he felt conflicted between academic success and religious demands, even denouncing Miller at one point. In a fascinating late essay, Baldwin also described his teenage sexual relationship with a mobster, who showed him off in public.

Baldwin’s romantic life was complicated, as he preferred men who were not outwardly gay. Indeed, many would marry women and have children while also involved with Baldwin. Still, they would often remain friends and enabled Baldwin’s work. Lucien Happersberger, who met Baldwin while both were living in Paris, sent him to a Swiss village, where he wrote his first novel, “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” as well as an essay, “Stranger in the Village,” about the oddness of being the first Black person many villagers had ever seen. Baldwin met Turkish actor Engin Cezzar in New York at the Actors’ Studio; Baldwin later spent time in Istanbul with Cezzar and his wife, finishing “Another Country” and directing a controversial play about Turkish prisoners that depicted sexuality and gender. 

Baldwin collaborated with French artist Yoran Cazac on a children’s book, which later vanished. Boggs writes of his excitement about coming across this book while a student at Yale and how he later interviewed Cazac and his wife while also republishing the book. Baldwin also had many tumultuous sexual relationships with young men whom he tried to mentor and shape, most of which led to drama and despair.

The book carefully examines Baldwin’s development as a writer. “Go Tell It on the Mountain” draws heavily on his early life, giving subtle signs of the main character John’s sexuality, while “Giovanni’s Room” bravely and openly shows a homosexual relationship, highly controversial at the time. “If Beale Street Could Talk” features a woman as its main character and narrator, the first time Baldwin wrote fully through a woman’s perspective. His essays feel deeply personal, even if they do not reveal everything; Lucian is the unnamed visiting friend in one who the police briefly detained along with Baldwin. He found New York too distracting to write, spending his time there with friends and family or on business. He was close friends with modernist painter Beauford Delaney, also gay, who helped Baldwin see that a Black man could thrive as an artist. Delaney would later move to France, staying near Baldwin’s home.

An epilogue has Boggs writing about encountering Baldwin’s work as one of the few white students in a majority-Black school. It helpfully reminds us that Baldwin connects to all who feel different, no matter their race, sexuality, gender, or class. A well-written, easy-flowing biography, with many excerpts from Baldwin’s writing, it shows how much of his life is revealed in his work. Let’s hope it encourages reading the work, either again or for the first time.

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Looking back at 50 years of Pride in D.C

Washington Blade’s unique archives chronicle highs, lows of our movement

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Gay Pride Day 1976 (Washington Blade archive photo)

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of LGBTQ Pride in Washington, D.C., the Washington Blade team combed our archives and put together a glossy magazine showcasing five decades of celebrations in the city. Below is a sampling of images from the magazine but be sure to find a print copy starting this week.

D.C.’s Different Drummers march in the 2006 Capital Pride Parade. (Washington Blade archive photo by Adam Cuthbert)

The magazine is being distributed now and is complimentary. You can find copies at LGBTQ bars and restaurants across the city. Or visit the Blade booth at the Pride festival on June 7 and 8 where we will distribute copies. 

Thank you to our advertisers and sponsors, whose support has enabled us to distribute the magazine free of charge. And thanks to our dedicated team at the Blade, especially Photo Editor Michael Key, who spent many hours searching the archives for the best images, many of which are unique to the Blade and cannot be found elsewhere. And thanks to our dynamic production team of Meaghan Juba, who designed the magazine, and Phil Rockstroh who managed the process. Stephen Rutgers and Brian Pitts handled sales and marketing and staff writers Lou Chibbaro Jr., Christopher Kane, Michael K. Lavers, Joe Reberkenny along with freelancer and former Blade staffer Joey DiGuglielmo wrote the essays. 

The 1995 Lesbian and Gay Freedom Festival was held on Freedom Plaza on June 18. (Washington Blade archive photo by Clint Steib)

The magazine represents more than 50 years of hard work by countless reporters, editors, advertising sales reps, photographers, and other media professionals who have brought you the Washington Blade since 1969.

We hope you enjoy the magazine and keep it as a reminder of all the many ups and downs our local LGBTQ community has experienced over the past 50 years.

I hope you will consider supporting our vital mission by becoming a Blade member today. At a time when reliable, accurate LGBTQ news is more essential than ever, your contribution helps make it possible. With a monthly gift starting at just $7, you’ll ensure that the Blade remains a trusted, free resource for the community — now and for years to come. Click here to help fund LGBTQ journalism.

The D.C. Black Gay Men & Women’s Community Conference table at Gay Pride Day in 1978. (Washington Blade archive photo by Jim Marks)
A scene from 1985 Gay and Lesbian Pride Day. (Washington Blade archive photo by Doug Hinckle)
A scene from the 1988 Gay and Lesbian Pride Day. (Washington Blade archive photo by Doug Hinckle)
A scene from the Capital Pride Block Party in 2018. (Washington Blade photo by Daniel Truitt)
Keke Palmer performs at the 2024 Capital Pride Festival. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
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