Local
Beloved D.C. nightclub figure Reggie Tyson dies at 62
Arkansas-native was part owner of Tracks nightclub
Reggie “Reg” Tyson, whose involvement as a bartender, manager, and part owner of the D.C. gay nightclub Tracks in the 1990s and his later role in other D.C. gay nightlife venues in which numerous friends and patrons say he influenced their lives for the better, died Feb. 15 at a hospital in Silver Spring, Md., from complications associated with kidney disease and diabetes. He was 62.
His brother, Herb Tyson, said Reggie Tyson was surrounded by loving family members at White Oak Adventist Healthcare Medical Center in Silver Spring at the time of his passing.
Herb Tyson said he and his brother came from a family in which their father was a U.S. Foreign Service officer. He said his brother Reggie attended Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and had an interest in international affairs.
He began his career by “dabbling a little bit” in the import-export field, according to Herb Tyson. “But he always kind of ended up back in restaurants and nightclubs,” the brother said.
“He was an incredible host,” Herb Tyson recalls of his brother Reggie. “He loved to entertain people. And he wanted to make sure everybody got what they needed in life, whether it was food, drink, love or a roof over their head.”
Gay nightlife advocate Mark Lee, a longtime nightclub event producer and the current coordinator of the D.C. Nightlife Council, said Reggie Tyson was well-known and liked by customers and co-workers at the clubs where he worked.
“Throughout a two-decade career as part of the operational team and a bartender at Tracks and Velvet Nation, Reggie Tyson was one of the kindest souls and most welcoming personalities working in the local club scene, always with a broad smile and a big laugh who was everyone’s friend in a humbly gracious manner that few extend or achieve,” Lee said.
Herb Tyson said Reggie was born in Little Rock, Ark., on May 25, 1957, where the family lived until his father’s work as a Foreign Service officer eventually brought the family to the D.C. area in the mid-1960s. Reggie Tyson graduated from Wootton High School in Rockville, Md., before beginning college at Georgetown University, according to his brother.
One of Reggie Tyson’s ventures in the restaurant business, his brother said, brought him to St. John’s in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Reggie lived from around 2001 to 2006 to operate a restaurant that catered to tourists arriving on large cruise ships.
D.C. gay businessman John Guggenmos, who has been a partner and operator of numerous D.C. gay bars and nightclubs for over 30 years, credits Reggie Tyson with playing an important role as a friend and business partner in Guggenmos’ successful business ventures, including Tracks and Velvet Nation nightclubs in Southeast D.C.
Guggenmos said he first met Tyson in 1989 at the 17th Street gay bar JR’s at a time when Guggenmos was searching for a place to live while getting ready to attend graduate school at George Washington University. He had just arrived in D.C. from his hometown of Laramie, Wyo.
He said Tyson offered to rent him a room in the Logan Circle House where Tyson was living at the time, and the two soon became friends and a short time later business partners when Guggenmos, Tyson and others took over the operation of Tracks.
“Many people didn’t know Reg was a business partner of mine in Tracks and a big part of his legacy will be the unassuming foundation he provided, how he connected people, played a role in shaping D.C. gay nightlife and for believing in me before I believed in myself,” Guggenmos told the Blade.
Guggenmos’ account of how Tyson had a positive impact on his life was repeated by others in an outpouring of Facebook postings by people who knew Tyson upon learning of his passing.
“Reggie was the first face to ever greet me at my first gay club before I was even out,” wrote Christopher Wiggins in a Facebook post. “Back in 2000 I walked into Nation terrified and he looked at me from behind the bar and smiled,” Wiggins continued. ‘Here … have a Reggie Special …’ and he handed me a drink,” Wiggins wrote, saying the gesture eased his tension and brightened his visit to the club.
“Reggie was such a presence and you always knew you were safe whenever you saw his smile or he gave you a loving hug,” wrote Scott Jimenez in another Facebook post. “R.I.P. Reg and heaven has most welcomed an Angel home.”
Reggie Tyson is survived by his mother, two brothers, a sister, “tons of nieces and nephews,” and countless friends, his brother Herb Tyson said. He is predeceased by his father, who passed away two months ago. A memorial service is being planned for the spring and an announcement of the details will be made at that time, Herb Tyson said.
District of Columbia
Second trans member announces plans to resign from Capital Pride board
Zion Peters cites ‘lack of interest in the Black trans community’
Zion Peters, a member of the Capital Pride Alliance Board of Directors who identifies as transgender, told the Washington Blade he plans to resign from the board “due to the lack of interest in the trans community, specifically the Black trans community.”
Peters continued, “Nobody has checked on me in the last two months so that shows their level of unprofessionalism towards their board members and the community as a whole.”
If he resigns, Peters would be the second known trans person to resign from the Capital Pride board since February, when longtime trans activist Taylor Lianne Chandler informed the board of her resignation in a detailed letter that was sent to the Blade by an anonymous source.
Chandler, who served as chair of the Capital Pride Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, and Intersex Committee, stated in her Feb. 24 letter that she resigned from the board out of frustration that the board had failed to address instances of “sexual misconduct” within the Capital Pride organization. The organization’s and the board’s transgender-related policies were not cited in her letter as a reason for her resignation.
The Blade learned of Peters’s plans to resign from an anonymous source who thought Peters had already resigned along with four other board members identified by the anonymous source. The others, who Capital Pride confirmed this week had resigned, include Anthony Musa, Bob Gilchrist, Kaniya Walker, and Dai Nguyen.
Musa and Gilchrist told the Blade they resigned for personal reasons related to their jobs and that they fully support Capital Pride’s work as an organization that coordinates the city’s annual LGBTQ Pride events.
The Blade has been unable to reach Walker and Nguyen to determine their reasons for resigning.
Capital Pride CEO Ryan Bos and Board Chair Anna Jinkerson didn’t respond to a Blade question asking if they knew why Walker or Nguyen resigned.
In response to a request by the Blade for comment on the resignations and the concern raised by Zion Peters about trans-related issues, Bos and Jinkerson sent separate statements elaborating on the organization and the board’s position on various issues.
“We can confirm that the individuals you referenced, except for Zion, no longer serve on the Capital Pride Alliance Board of Directors,” Jinkerson said in her statement.
She added that following the WorldPride festival hosted by D.C. last May and June that was organized by Capital Pride Alliance, the group anticipated a “significant level of board transition,” with many board members reaching the end of their terms. But she said many board members chose to extend their service or apply for an additional term, showing a “powerful reflection of commitment.”
Without commenting on the specific reasons for the resignations of Peterson, Walker, and Nygun, Jinkerson noted, “As with all volunteer leadership roles, transitions occur for a range of personal and professional reasons, and we appreciate those transitions with both understanding and gratitude.”
In his own statement, Bos addressed Capital Pride’s record on transgender issues.
“The Capital Pride Alliance is committed to supporting and uplifting the Trans community through our work with the Trans Coalition under the Diversity of Prides Initiative, our partnership with Earline Budd on the LGBTQ+ Burial Fund with a focus on our Trans siblings, our collaboration with the National Trans Visibility March, and our ongoing investment in programming for Transgender Day of Visibility and Transgender Day of Remembrance,” Bos said in his statement.
“We also recognize there is always continued work to be done, and we always welcome feedback from our community to ensure our commitment remains unwavering,” he said.
At the time of her resignation in February, Chandler said she could not provide specific details of the instances of sexual misconduct to which she referred in her resignation letter, or who allegedly engaged in sexual misconduct, saying she and all other board members had signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement preventing them from disclosing further details.
Board Chair Jinkerson in a statement released at that time said she and the board were aware of Chandler’s concerns but did not specifically address allegations of sexual misconduct.
“When concerns are brought to CPA, we act quickly and appropriately to address them,” she said. “As we continue to grow as an organization, we’re proactively strengthening the policies and procedures that shape our systems, our infrastructure, and the support we provide to our team and partners,” she said.
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.”
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