a&e features
An uncertain summer in Rehoboth
Beaches, businesses remain closed but there are glimmers of hope
For Tim Ragan, owner of the Blue Moon bar and restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, Del., the adjustment to the pandemic economy came immediately.
“As soon as we were closed for dine-in, we started doing carryout the next day,” said Ragan. However, he noted that “it has been a challenge going from a white tablecloth restaurant to putting everything in a brown bag.”
Part of the Blue Moon’s evolution can be seen in its menu.
“We realized early on that people were looking for more value items. They weren’t necessarily looking for a duck breast or a veal chop. Some of the traditional things are on there, but we’ve also added burgers, crab cake sandwiches, things like that. The menu has definitely evolved to be more carryout friendly because some things just don’t travel well. We try to package our food so that it will be something you’ll want to eat when it gets home,” said Ragan.
Transforming into a takeout only restaurant means the Blue Moon can’t make the same money it did pre-COVID, but Ragan said they are “happy to be doing carryout” because they are able to keep all of their kitchen staff employed and “feel like [we] are providing a service.”
Looking toward the future, Ragan does not want his business to rush back to normal operations.
“We are not saying that as soon as they say we can open, we are going to open. We have to make sure that we are comfortable, our guests are going to be safe, and our staff is going to be safe,” he said.
He expects that, even when restaurants are able to open, he will “continue to do the carryout for people who don’t feel it’s safe to come in or don’t want to.”
Any reopening of restaurants for anything other than takeout will not take place until at least June 1, the date Gov. John Carney set as the target for Delaware’s Phase 1 of reopening, during which restaurants will be able to operate with “strict reopening guidelines.”
Delaware’s Phase 1 will coincide with Rehoboth Beach’s Phase 1, when beaches and the boardwalk will be able to open with limitations.
Rehoboth Beach’s boardwalk and beaches are slated to reopen on May 15 for walking and exercise after nearly two months of total closures. Swimming won’t be allowed and benches will not be available, but public restrooms will reopen. Visitors will be required to wear face masks and practice social distancing.
Dave Lyons, co-owner alongside his partner, Rick Hardy, of the new Coho’s Market & Grill on Rehoboth Avenue, hopes that they will be able to have a successful first summer for their business after opening in April.
For Lyons and Hardy, this business is the realization of a lifelong dream.
“We have always wanted our own market and grill here in Rehoboth. We have had a home here for more than 20 years. We had been Washington lawyers coming to Rehoboth on weekends and this is something we always wanted to do,” said Lyons.
Despite the challenges of opening during a pandemic, the owners were determined to get their business up and running.
“Our original plan was to be open by April 15. Because we’re serving food we can do carryout, we thought we can at least get started doing carryout,” said Lyons.
However, come summer, Lyons is “hopeful the governor is going to loosen up his restrictions for retail.” He adds that “small businesses are really screaming loudly. There is a lot of pressure now on the town here to help small businesses.”
When businesses are able to more fully open, cabin fever may make customers eager to get to the beaches and boardwalk.
“Do I think the summer will be different? Sure. I’ve been working from home. A lot of folks have been working from home and are getting a little stir crazy,” said Lyons. “I think that as long as people can travel people will come out. I’m hopeful that people will come out this summer. Obviously, it will be different. People will be socially distant, you may see a lot of masks, but I think people are anxious to get out in the sunshine and get back to some sense of a normal life, whatever normal is going forward.”
One challenge facing all of these businesses is the ban on short-term rentals until Phase 2 of Rehoboth’s reopening. That means that they can only provide services to permanent residents and people who own summer homes.
So far, there are some hopeful signs that the seasonal crowd will return later in the summer once the ban is lifted.
“We have had cancellations, but most of the cancellations have involved this month and June, there has been no real significant mass cancellation in July or August,” said local real estate agent Bryce Lingo.
However, David Bediz, a Realtor who just bought a house in Rehoboth that he is currently renovating, thinks that it is unlikely that his property will “get very much if any beach rental time.”
Despite the obvious immediate challenges brought to the real estate market, Lingo believes long-term sales might be a silver lining of the pandemic.
“The sales market, shockingly, is good. One reason for that is because the inventories are so low. Believe it or not, people are buying properties virtually without physically seeing them,” he said.
He said this may be due to the pandemic causing people to see the appeal of living full-time in Rehoboth Beach.
“When somebody is buying a house, it’s not a spontaneous decision. I am hearing a lot of comments about people relocating to this much less dense area, which could have a very large impact on the market,” he said. “There are many people down here isolating and I think they have a much better idea of the easier, less stressful, calmer lifestyle that this area offers.”
Blade summer kickoff party postponed
Editor’s note: The Blade’s summer kickoff party in Rehoboth Beach has become a popular tradition and one we all look forward to each year. This year’s 13th annual event was postponed due to coronavirus. It was to feature a speech from Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester and the introduction of our second Blade Foundation-Steve Elkins Journalism Fellowship recipient, Joshua Keller.
The good news is that Keller is hard at work covering issues important to Delaware’s LGBTQ community. Send him news tips at [email protected]. And the Blue Moon has agreed to let us reschedule this year’s event as a summer closing party on Friday, Sept. 11, assuming large gatherings are permitted by then. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, stay safe and enjoy all Rehoboth has to offer — from behind a mask and at least six feet away. —Kevin Naff, editor
a&e features
Memorial for groundbreaking bisexual activist set for May 2
Loraine Hutchins remembered as a ‘force of nature’
The Montgomery County Pride Center will host a celebration honoring the life and legacy of Loraine Hutchins, Ph.D., on May 2. People are invited to attend the onsite memorial or a livestream event. The on-site event will begin at 10 a.m. with a meet-and-greet mixer before moving into a memorial service around the theme “Loraine a Force of Nature!” at 11 a.m., a panel talk at 12 p.m., break out sessions for artists, academics, and activists to build on her legacy at 1 p.m. and a closing reception at 2 p.m.
Attendees are encouraged to register for the on-site memorial gathering or the livestreamed memorial. The goal of this event is also to collect stories and memories of Loraine. Attendees and others can share their stories at padlet.com.
An obituary for Hutchins was published in the Bladelast Nov. 24, where people can learn more about her activism in the bisexual community. A private service for friends and family was held in December but this memorial service is open to all.
Alongside her groundbreaking work organizing for U.S. bisexual rights and liberation including co-editing “Bi Any Other Name: BIsexual People Speak Out” (1991), she also integrated faith into her sexual education and advocacy work. Her 2001 doctoral dissertation, “Erotic Rites: A Cultural Analysis of Contemporary U.S. Sacred Sexuality Traditions and Trends,” offered a pointed queer and feminist analysis to sex-neutral and sex-positive spiritual traditions in the United States. Her thesis was also groundbreaking in exploring the intersections between sex workers and those in caregiving professionals, including spiritual ones.
In an oral history interview conducted by Michelle Mueller back in August 2023, Hutchins described herself as a “priestess without a congregation.” While she has occasionally had a sense of community and feels part of a group of loving people, she admitted that “I don’t feel like we have the shape or the purpose that we need.”
“I’ve often experienced being the Cassandra in the room, the Cassandra in the community. Somebody who’s kind of way out there ahead, thinking through the strategic action points that my community hasn’t gotten to yet, and getting a lot of resistance and hostile responses from people who are frightened by dissent and conflict and not ready for the changes we have to make to survive,” she said.
“For somebody who’s bisexual in an out political way and who’s been a spokesperson for the polyamory movement in an out political way, it’s very exposing. And it’s very important to me to be able to try to explain and help other people understand the connection between spirituality and sexuality,” she explained citing how even as a graduate student she was “exploring how to feel erotic and spiritual, and not feel them in conflict with each other in my own spiritual contemplative life and my own sensual body awareness of being alive in the world.”
“Every religion has a sense of sacred sexuality. It’s just they put a lot of boundaries and regulations on it, and if we have a spiritual practice that is totally affirming of women’s priesthood and of gay people, queer people’s ability to minister to everyone and to be ministered to be everyone, what does that do to the gender of God, or our understanding of how we practice our spirituality and our sexuality in community and privately?”
“There’s no easy answer,” she concludes, and she continued to grapple with these questions throughout her life, co-editing another seminal text, “Sexuality, Religion and the Sacred: Bisexual, Pansexual, and Polysexual Perspectives,” published in 2012. Her work blending spiritual and queer liberation remains groundbreaking to this day.
Rev. Eric Eldritch, a local community organizer and ordained Pagan minister with Circle Sanctuary who has worked for decades with the DC Center’s Center Faith to organize the Pride Interfaith Service, is eager to highlight this element of her legacy at the memorial service next month.
a&e features
Queery: Meet artist, performer John Levengood
Modern creative talks nightlife, coming out, and his personal queer heroes
John Levengood (he/him) describes himself as a modern creative with a wide‑ranging toolkit. He blends music, technology, civic duty, and a sharp sense of wit into a cohesive artistic identity. Known primarily as a recording artist and performer, he’s also a self‑taught music producer and software engineer who embodies a generation of creators who build their own lanes rather than wait for one to appear.
Levengood, 32, who is single and identifies as gay and queer, is best known as a recording artist who has performed at Pride festivals across the country, including the main stages of World Pride DC, Central Arkansas Pride, and Charlotte Pride.
“Locally in the DMV, I’m known for turning heads at nightlife venues with my eye-catching sense of style. When I go out, I don’t try to blend in. I hope I inspire people to be themselves and have the courage to stand out,” he says.
He’s also known for hosting karaoke at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va., on Thursday nights. “I like to create a space where people feel comfortable expressing themselves, building community, and showcasing their talents.”
He also creates social media content from my performances and do interviews at LGBTQ+ bars and theatres in the DMV. Follow the Arlington resident @johnlevengood.
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
I have been fully out of the closet since 2019. My parents were the hardest people to tell because my family has always been my rock and at the time I couldn’t imagine a world without them. Their reactions were extremely positive and supportive so I had nothing to fear all along.
I remember sitting on the couch with my mom, dad, and sister in our hotel room in New Orleans during our winter vacation and being so nervous to tell them. After I finally mustered up the nerve and made the proclamation, I realized my dad had already fallen asleep on the couch. My mom promised to tell him when he woke up.
Who’s your LGBTQ hero?
My LGBTQ heroes are Harvey Milk for paving the way for gays in politics and Elton John for being a pioneer for the fabulous and authentic. My local heroes in the DMV are Howard Hicks, manager of Green Lantern, and Tony Rivenbark, manager of Freddie’s Beach Bar. Both of them are essential to creating spaces where I’ve felt welcome and safe since moving to the DMV.
What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?
Trade tops the list for me because of the dance floor and outdoor space. It’s so nice to get a break from the music every once and a while to be able to have a conversation.
We live in challenging times. How do you cope?
I’m still figuring this out. What is working right now is writing music and spending time with family and friends. I’ve also been spending less time on social media going to the gym at least three times a week.
What streaming show are you binging?
After “Traitors” Season 4 ended, I was in a bit of a show hole, but “Stumble” has me in a laughing loop right now. The writing is so witty.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
At 18, I wish I would have known how liberating it is to come out of the closet. It would have been nice to know some winning lottery numbers as well.
What are your friends messaging about in your most recent group chat?
We are planning our next trip to New York City. If you can believe it, I visited NYC for the first time in 2025 for Pride and I’ve been back every quarter since. Growing up in the country, I was subconsciously primed to be scared of the city. But my mind has been blown. I can’t wait to go back.
Why Washington?
It’s the closest metropolitan area to my family, but not too close. I love the museums, the diversity, the history, and the proximity to the beach and mountains. It’s also nice to live in a city with public transportation.
Aging RFK Stadium has come down, but the RFK grounds are still getting lit up. Welcome back to the stage Project GLOW, D.C.’s homegrown electronic festival, on May 30-31. Back for its fifth year on these musically inclined acres, Project GLOW returns with an even more diverse lineup, and one that continues to celebrate LGBTQ antecedents, attendees, and acts.
Project GLOW 2026 headliners include house and techno star Mau P, progressive house legend Eric Prydz, hard-techno favorite Sara Landry, and bass acts Excision b2b Sullivan King, among the lineup of trance, bass, house, techno, dubstep, and others for the fifth anniversary year.
President & CEO Pete Kalamoutsos — born and raised in D.C. — founded Club GLOW in 1999. In 2020, GLOW entered into a partnership with global entertainment company Insomniac Events to produce live events like Project GLOW, which kicked off in 2022.
As in past years, Project GLOW not only makes space, but is intentionally inclusive of the LGBTQ community, one of its most dedicated fan bases. The festival’s LGBTQ-focused Secret Garden stage blooms again — a more intimate dance area that stands on the strength of DJs and musicians who draw from the LGBTQ community. D.C.’s LGBTQ nightlife mastermind Ed Bailey is the creative mind behind Secret Garden again. He joined Project GLOW in 2023.
“Kalamoustos says that “he’s proud of his partnership with Ed Bailey, along with Capital Pride and [nightlife producer] Jake Resnikow. It’s amazing to collaborate with Bailey at the Secret Garden stage, especially after the curated lineup we worked on at Pride last year.”
The Secret Garden will be a bit different from other stages: Eternal (“At the Eternal stage, time stands still. Lose yourself in the dance of past, present, and future, surrendering to the eternal rhythm of the universe”) and Pulse (“Feel the rhythm of the beat pulse through your veins as the heartbeat of the crowd synchronizes into one. Here, every moment vibrates with life as it guides you through a new dimension of euphoria”). The Secret Garden stage is in the round, surrounded by 16 shipping containers. The containers play canvas to muralists from around the world, who are coming in to paint them in a vibrant garden-style vibe. “We gave this stage some extra love with this layout,” K says, “ we finally cracked the code.”
K says that this will be the biggest lineup yet for the Secret Garden, featuring Nicole Moudaber b2b Chasewest, Riordan b2b Bullet Tooth, Ranger Trucco, Cassian, Eli & Fur, Cosmic Gate and Hayla. The stage is also the largest yet, featuring an expanded dance floor and 360-degree viewing.
Across all stages, K says that his goal for the fifth anniversary is “More art and fan interactive experience, more like a festival, strive to be like a Tomorrowland, as budget grows to add more experience.” Last year’s Project GLOW alone drew 40,000 attendees over two days.
K, however, was not satisfied with one festival this spring. GLOW recently announced a “pop-up” one-day event. Teaming up with Black Book Records, GLOW is set to throw a first-of-its-kind dance-music takeover of Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., headlined by electronic music star Chris Lake. Set for April 18, this euphoric block party will feature bass and vibes blocks from the White House. Organizers expect as many as 10,000 fans to attend. Beyond music, there will be food, activations, and plenty of other activities taking place around 6th St and Pennsylvania Ave NW – a location familiar to many in the LGBTQ community, as this sits squarely inside the blocks of the Capital Pride party that takes place in DC every June.
Over the past two decades, Club GLOW has produced thousands of events, from club nights to large-scale festivals including Project GLOW, Moonrise Festival, and more. Club GLOW also operates Echostage.
Democracy Forward files FOIA request for State Department bathroom policy records
House Republicans push nationwide ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill
Botswana repeals colonial-era sodomy law
LGBTQ people are leaving Orthodox Judaism behind
Madonna makes rare club appearance in West Hollywood
Adoption under suspicion
Why we need to recognize and celebrate Lesbian Day of Visibility
Calendar: April 24-30
DC Center marks one year at new location
