Local
D.C. Pride Walk and Rally set for June 12
Newly announced events to precede citywide Pridemobile Parade
The Capital Pride Alliance, the group that organizes D.C.’s annual LGBTQ Pride events, announced on Monday a Capital Pride Walk will take place on Saturday, June 12, from Dupont Circle to Logan Circle before traveling south along 13th Street to Freedom Plaza at 13th and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., where a Pride rally will be held.
“Now that it is becoming safer for us to once again come together as the District of Columbia officially reopens, the Capital Pride Alliance will bring together our intersectional LGBTQ+ community to walk, celebrate, march, be visible, and amplify the rich culture of Washington, D.C.,” the group’s announcement says.
“On Saturday, June 12, the day that would have been the date for D.C.’s most favorite parade, the Capital Pride Parade, we intend to hold a Pride Walk & Rally, that will be followed by the first Pridemobile Parade,” the announcement states.
It was referring to its previously announced Pridemobile Parade set for June 12 that will consist of a caravan of cars decorated with Pride related displays expected to travel across the city to pass by historic sites such as the U.S. Capitol as well as to drive past people’s homes and businesses that will also be decorated with Pride displays.
Although there will be a fee for organizations to enter a vehicle in the Pridemobile Parade, there will be no fee to join the Pride Walk and Rally, according to the announcement. The announcement says the Pridemobile Parade will begin at Freedom Plaza following the conclusion of the rally, but Capital Pride officials had yet to release the official route of the parade.
According to the announcement, participants in the Pride Walk are being asked to assemble inside Dupont Circle at noon on June 12. The walk will begin at 12:30, it says, and will travel along P Street to Logan Circle and then head south along 13th Street to Freedom Plaza. It says no motor vehicles will be allowed in the Pride Walk.
“If anyone is unable to meet at Dupont Circle, then please depart from your own neighborhood and make your way down to Freedom Plaza by 2 p.m.,” the announcement says. “There will be a short rally with music at Freedom Plaza as we prepare to kick off the Pridemobile Parade at 3 p.m.”
Ryan Bos, the Capital Pride Alliance executive director, said the group has obtained the necessary permits from the city to facilitate temporary street closings to allow Pride Walk participants to walk uninterrupted by traffic along the cross streets.
Information about other events scheduled for the June Pride month can be found at: capitalpride.org/celebration.
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.
Rehoboth Summer Kickoff Party set for May 15 with Ashley Biden
Curve magazine honors Washington Blade publisher
Auction of Rehoboth’s Blue Moon canceled
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