Local
Opponent challenges signatures for lesbian D.C. Council candidate
More accusations of invalid names in race
Dionne Reeder is a leading candidate for an At-Large Council seat. (Photo courtesy of Twitter)
A representative of D.C. Council candidate S. Kathryn Allen filed a challenge on Aug. 20 to the nominating petitions for lesbian businesswoman Dionne Reeder, who is considered one of Allen’s two leading opponents for an At-Large Council seat in the city’s Nov. 6 general election.
The challenge, filed by Nona Richardson, whose company MitchRich Communications is serving as a paid consultant to the Allen campaign, came on the same day that incumbent At-Large Council member Elissa Silverman filed a challenge to Allen’s nominating petitions.
All three are running as independents for an At-Large Council seat that under the city’s election law can only go to a non-Democrat. Democratic incumbent Anita Bonds holds the second At-Large seat up for election on Nov. 6 and is considered the strong favorite to win re-election.
Richardson didn’t respond to a call by the Washington Blade asking for details about why she feels Reeder’s petition signatures are sufficiently defective to knock Reeder off of the ballot.
Under rules established by the D.C. Board of Elections, the board doesn’t disclose the details of a challenge until it holds a preliminary and later a full hearing to assess the merits of a petition challenge.
The Board on Tuesday held preliminary or pre-hearing conferences for the challenges to both Reeder and Allen’s petitions. Reeder’s campaign manager, Alfreda Davis, told the Blade that the Board’s Registrar, who conducts the pre-hearing conferences, made a preliminary determination that Reeder had sufficient valid signatures on her petitions to be granted access to the ballot on Nov. 6.
“That’s really good news,” said Davis. Davis noted that under the election board’s rules, Richardson would have an opportunity at a full hearing scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 5, to contest the Registrar’s determination and seek a final ruling by the full three-member Board of Election sometime before Sept. 10.
Allen, meanwhile, didn’t comment on what the election board Registrar’s preliminary assessment was regarding the challenge against her petitions. One source supportive of Allen said the Registrar had a preliminary finding that while many of her petition signatures were invalid a sufficient number appear to have survived the challenge to enable her to be placed on the November election ballot.
However, Silverman, who filed the challenge, issued a statement saying the preliminary review confirmed that 3,028 signatures submitted by the Allen campaign were invalid, leaving Allen with only 3,040 signatures as the Board begins its final assessment between this week and Sept. 10. All at-large candidates must have at least 3,000 valid petition signatures to be placed on the ballot.
Silverman said in her statement issued on Tuesday that many of the signatures the Registrar said were valid could still be disqualified on grounds that the petition circulators’ names allegedly were forged. Silverman noted that under the city’s election law, all signatures of petitions submitted by a disqualified circulator could be disqualified.
Political observers have said Reeder currently has a shot at beating Silverman in the general election and her chances of doing so would increase significantly if Allen were to be disqualified from the ballot.
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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