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Comings & Goings
Fryer appointed manager in U.S. Travel Association
The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at: [email protected].
Congratulations to Eric Fryer on his appointment as Manager, Grassroots and PAC with the U.S. Travel Association.
“I’m proud of the work that the Dulles Area Association of Realtors (DAAR) has done to advance homeownership opportunities for all in Loudoun County,” he said. “It’s been an honor to lead the Association’s advocacy and DEI initiatives with our members, president, and CEO. I’m thrilled to take these next steps in my career with the U.S. Travel Association, where I’ll be supporting the growth of their grassroots program and increasing political involvement across the travel industry.”
Prior to working with the Dulles area Association of Realtors, Fryer was a U.S. Public Affairs Intern; and Communication/Membership Intern with the Public Affairs Council; legislative intern, Office of Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD); and an intern working as Deputy Field Organizer for State Sen. Rich Madaleno’s campaign for Maryland governor in 2018.
Congratulations also to Ted Jackson on his appointment as Executive Director of the The Center for Independent Living-Berkeley (TheCIL). In his new role as Executive Director, Jackson will prioritize independent living programs and disability rights and justice initiatives, while working to build partnerships with other local social justice and service organizations that value individual dignity and agency.
Board Co-Chair Caleb van Docto said, “Ted’s demonstrated leadership skills showed the board he has a real understanding of organizational management and movement building to make sure that TheCIL continues to grow the scope of its Independent Living services.” Co-Chair Josh Halstead added “He’ll work in collaboration with allies; his commitment to bring an intersectional focus to our work will keep the center oriented toward the values that created it 50 years ago.”
Upon accepting the position, Jackson said, “I lived half my life under the stigmatic pressure of a medical model that denied my disabilities, discovering myself as a disabled person was freedom. I want that freedom for TheCIL’s consumers and community members. I have personally navigated difficult healthcare systems, confusing government programs for food, housing assistance and jobs and encountered accessibility obstacles at work. I know the reality of these barriers and I commit to work every day to provide programs that empower people with disabilities to achieve equity in the community.”
Jackson began his professional life as a theater artist and teacher. When he encountered roadblocks to continuing this profession because of his disability and his sexual orientation, he began working as a political and community organizer to change the systems that perpetuated these obstacles to inclusion.
Jackson has served in multiple roles at cross-community social justice organizations and on initiatives to create change. These include Equality California, California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC); the Democratic National Committee (Senior Advisor-Disability); accessibility and political staff roles at The Women’s March, Inc.; and as an organizer at the American Association for People with Disabilities and the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies. This year he joined the American University School of Public Affairs faculty as an adjunct professor teaching a disability focused political curriculum.
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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