Local
Top 10 local news stories of 2022
Casa Ruby shuts down, As You Are opens
From the return of Pride to the shutdown of Casa Ruby, the Blade was busy in 2022 covering all the local LGBTQ news. Here are our staff picks for the top 10 stories of the year.
#10 As You Are bar overcomes hurdles to open
Plans of lesbian activists and businesswomen Jo McDaniel and Rachel Pike to open the LGBTQ café and bar of their dreams called As You Are in the Barracks Row section of Capitol Hill appeared uncertain at best in January 2022.
Some nearby residents raised objections to what they said would bring noise and neighborhood disturbances by plans for a second-floor dance floor at the bar’s 500 8th St., S.E. location. But as it turned out, many residents expressed support for the bar.
McDaniel and Pike, with help from their attorney, worked out an agreement with the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission, which gave its support for the bar’s liquor license application that was later approved by the city’s liquor board.
Although McDaniel and Pike say they still have some hurdles to overcome, the bar opened for business on March 22. Among the several dozen people who showed up on opening day were gay U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband.
#9 Gay Hyattsville mayor posthumously charged with embezzlement
Gay Hyattsville, Md., Mayor Kevin Ward, who took his own life on Jan. 25, was posthumously charged a few months later with embezzling more than $2.2 million from a D.C. charter school network where he worked as director of technology.
The revelations shocked LGBTQ supporters and Hyattsville city officials, who had praised Ward as a progressive and highly regarded public official who worked for the betterment of all of Hyattsville’s diverse residents.
U.S. Park Police said they found Ward deceased in a federal park in Northern Virginia from what authorities said was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
News of the alleged embezzlement surfaced when federal prosecutors filed a civil forfeiture complaint against Ward’s estate charging, among other things, that he used the money he stole to buy at least 10 cars, a camper, sports memorabilia, and property in West Virginia.
#8 Loudoun County sexual assault case triggers opposition to trans policies
Transgender supportive public-school policies adopted in Loudoun County, Va., and throughout the state and beyond continued to face intense opposition in 2022 from a 2021 incident in which a 15-year-old boy initially believed to be transgender or gender fluid was charged with sexually assaulting two girls in separate high schools. One of the two assaults took place in a girl’s bathroom while he wore a skirt.
Although the boy’s mother has said her child is not transgender and identifies as straight, critics seized on the two sexual assault cases as grounds for reversing or opposing school policies that allow transgender students to use the bathrooms and other school facilities that match their gender identity.
In a separate development, the Loudoun County school board, which previously had adopted trans-supportive school policies, voted to uphold a decision by the school superintendent to remove the LGBTQ book ‘Gender Queer: A Memoir’ from high school libraries.
#7 Monkeypox hits D.C. gay, bi men
Officials with the D.C. Department of Health reported in July that gay and bisexual men and those in the category of men who have sex with men (MSM) appeared to comprise at least 90 percent of the reported monkeypox cases in Washington, D.C.
But that percentage declined a short time later when the DOE changed its reporting policies in an effort to reduce the stigma associated with monkeypox infections. Officials said they did not want to appear as if they were applying undue pressure on people to disclose their sexual orientation when they apply for a monkeypox vaccination or seek a monkeypox test or treatment.
That change in policy appeared to result in a lower number of newly reported cases being attributed to men who have sex with men and a higher number of cases attributed to an “unknown” risk group.
In late summer, some public health officials said the lead cause of monkeypox transmission appeared to be through sexual relations rather than casual contact such as from dancing.
#6 Ally Wes Moore wins election as Maryland governor
Maryland Democrat Wes Moore, an outspoken supporter of LGBTQ rights, won election in November as Maryland’s first African-American governor. In other LGBTQ related races, lesbian former Maryland state Del. Heather Mizeur lost her race for a U.S. House seat in the state’s Eastern Shore district.
In Delaware, transgender woman Sarah McBride won re-election to her seat in the State Senate. And in Virginia, transgender State Del. Danica Roem announced she will run for a seat in the Virginia Senate in 2023.
#5 Gay former D.C. cop Brett Parson arrested on sex with minor charge
Former D.C. police lieutenant Brett Parson, who served as supervisor of the department’s LGBT Liaison Unit before retiring from the force in 2020, was arrested in Boca Raton, Fla., on Feb. 12, for allegedly having sex with a consenting 16-year-old boy in violation of Florida’s age of consent law, which is 18, according to an arrest affidavit filed in court.
The affidavit says the 16-year-old told police he and Parson met on the gay online dating app called Growlr and agreed to meet for a sexual encounter in Coconut Creek after exchanging “explicit” photos of each other. It says the two engaged in consenting sex in Parson’s car while parked in a secluded parking lot at night.
An arrest warrant obtained by Coconut Creek police charges Parson with two counts of “Unlawful Sexual Activity with a Minor.” Parson was released on bond while awaiting trial. Court records show no trial date has been set and the next court status hearing for the case is scheduled for March 17, 2023.
#4 Youngkin creates uproar over proposed trans school policy
Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia introduced a proposed directive in September requiring all the state’s 133 public school districts to adopt transgender “model policies” that, among other things, would require transgender students to use school facilities such as bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender at birth.
The proposed policies, which drew strong opposition from LGBTQ rights advocates, also would require students who want to change their name or gender on official school records to obtain legal documentation, such as a legal name change, with parental approval. Additionally, the Youngkin policies would call for teachers and other school employees to refuse to refer to trans students by their desired name or pronoun unless students’ parents request that change in writing.
Although the proposal received mixed reactions from the public through about 71,000 written comments during a 30-day review period, the state Department of Education postponed the policy directive’s implementation for more than a month following legal issues raised by opponents. Among the issues raised is that the policies would violate Virginia’s LGBTQ nondiscrimination law.
#3 Large-scale D.C. Pride events resume
Organizers of D.C.’s 2022 Capital Pride Parade and Festival say the two events attracted close to a record half-million people during the city’s Pride weekend in June when large-scale outdoor and indoor Pride events resumed following the scaled-back events in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID pandemic.
Organizers of the city’s Black Pride events, which take place each year during the Memorial Day weekend in May, said large-scale indoor celebrations, including conference sessions and dance parties, resumed in full force as well in 2022. The Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration at the Wharf also returned to packed crowds.
Among those who joined the Capital Pride celebration was U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who made a surprise appearance on the Capital Pride Festival stage before a cheering crowd.
#2 D.C. election highlights LGBTQ political involvement
LGBTQ activists said among the highlights of the 2022 D.C. election was gay D.C. school board member Zachary Parker, who won election to the Ward 5 D.C. Council seat, becoming the first out LGBTQ person to serve on the Council since 2015.
Gay former D.C. police officer Salah Czapary lost his race for the Ward 1 D.C. Council seat, and two gay Libertarian Party candidates lost their races for the D.C. congressional delegate seat and the Ward 3 Council seat.
In the June Democratic primary, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Council Chair Phil Mendelson won in hotly contested races. In a development that surprised some political observers, the city’s largest LGBTQ political group, Capital Stonewall Democrats, endorsed Bowser and Mendelson’s lead opponents.
LGBTQ supporters of Bowser and Mendelson claim the large majority LGBTQ residents voted for Bowser and Mendelson, who have strong records of support on LGBTQ issues. Like all D.C. elections over the past 20 years or longer, virtually all candidates running in 2022 expressed support for LGBTQ rights.
#1 Casa Ruby shuts down
Casa Ruby, D.C.’s once highly regarded LGBTQ community services center, closed its operations in July due to a financial crisis brought about by the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in city funding and alleged mismanagement.
On July 29, shortly after the shutdown, the Office of the D.C. Attorney General filed a civil complaint against Casa Ruby and its founder and former executive director Ruby Corado, alleging that Casa Ruby and Corado had violated the city’s Nonprofit Corporations Act for the past several years.
The complaint said improper actions by Corado, including the unaccounted-for expenditure of city funds and a gross failure by the Casa Ruby Board of Directors to provide oversight, was the cause of the financial crisis. The AG’s office on Nov. 28 filed an amended complaint in D.C. Superior Court with new allegations, including claims that Corado withdrew more than $400,000 of Casa Ruby’s funds for unauthorized use in El Salvador.
Corado has denied any improper or illegal financial practices and blamed the D.C. government for Casa Ruby’s collapse. In an interview with the Blade in El Salvador, where she has lived most of the time for the past two years, Corado said the allegations against her, especially those made by the D.C. Attorney General, amount to “persecution.”
Rehoboth Beach
What’s new in Rehoboth Beach for summer 2026
Moon changes ownership, Market 59 debuts, and much more
Another year and Rehoboth Beach, Del., is ready for the new summer season. The crowds will come for sun, sand, surf, and the boardwalk. It will cost a little more to get to the beach this year, as gas prices are way up. But once you are in Rehoboth, you know it’s worth it.
One aesthetic change you’ll notice at the boardwalk is the installation of a security gate and bollards near the bandstand, intended to enhance security during large events. The town plans an expanded fireworks show for July 4 to honor the nation’s 250th birthday.
Most of the commercial establishments in Rehoboth are along and between three blocks: Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Avenue, and Wilmington Avenue. This column will seem like I am walking back and forth because I am, and you will too. One thing to remember: Parking in Rehoboth is difficult and expensive and free parking is over as of May 15. There are parking permits available for either a day or longer at the non-metered spots.
During more than 40 years that I have been going to Rehoboth, including more than 30 owning a place in Sussex County, I have witnessed the town transform from a summer vacation spot to a vibrant, year-round community. This was hastened by the COVID pandemic, when lots of people moved to the beach when they could work virtually. Others, reaching retirement age, decided the beach was the place to be. This influx of residents has given many businesses a reason to stay open year round.
Over the years, Rehoboth has become a real foodie town, with many more restaurants, many of them high-end, opening. There are local gay-led restaurant groups like the award-winning Second Block Hospitality Group, which operates The Pines, Bodhi Kitchen, and Drift. Another group, JAM Holdings, owns Eden, which relocated to Route 1 in January after 20 years on Baltimore Avenue; and Jam, which is expected to reopen on Rehoboth Avenue later this year after leaving its Wilmington Avenue location that was demolished over the winter. That building was home to several beloved restaurants over the decades, including Chez la Mer and Azzurro.
Among the new businesses this year, be sure to stop at the gay-owned Bay Laurel Home and Garden, located at the old Farmer Girl site on Route 1 for your gardening needs. The Waypoint Hotel opened in December on Rehoboth Avenue, site of the former gay-owned Shore Inn.
Another of the newbies is the upscale Market 59 on Baltimore Avenue. The owners plan to add a restaurant and bar before July 4 called Fifty-Nine. The market offers grab-and-go options for the beach plus homemade breads and pastries, produce, and seafood. Then there is the renamed Frankie and Louie’s across the street, now called Pazzo Italiano. Still the same great takeout and now hooked up with The Pines leading to some new menu items. Then I hear there will also be a new Champagne Bar opening soon on Baltimore Avenue.
Then there are the established and stellar standbys, including the Back Porch, on Rehoboth Avenue; Megan Kee’s restaurants La Fable, Houston White, and Dalmata; and the restaurants on Wilmington Avenue, including Mariachi, Salt Air, and Henlopen Oyster House, where you can sample the Rehoboth Rose oysters from the gay-owned Nancy James Oysters. Then on 1st Street there is Goolee’s Grill for a comforting breakfast and Bloody. Walk up the second block of Rehoboth Avenue and you reach the Purple Parrot and its ever-popular Biergarten.
The iconic Blue Moon restaurant and bar was recently sold to new owners who have pledged to keep it an LGBTQ-affirming space, according to longtime owner Tim Ragan. Ragan and his partner Randy Haney sold the Blue Moon to Dale Lomas and Mike Subrick, owners of Atlantic Liquors on Route 1. “They don’t want to change a thing,” Ragan told the Blade. Happy hour continues all summer long from 4-6 p.m.
For morning coffee nothing beats The Coffee Mill, in the mews between Rehoboth and Baltimore Avenue, where I can be found every morning I am at the beach. The owners, Mel and Bob, also own the Mill Creamery ice cream shop, and another Coffee Mill in Dewey Beach. Mel is proud of his clothing store BRASHhh on 1st Street. On the Rehoboth Avenue side of the mews is the beloved Browseabout Books where you can find a beach read, grab a coffee, and shop for everything from toys to home decor. A few doors away on Rehoboth Avenue is the fun Gidget’s Gadgets.
My favorite place for happy hour is Aqua Bar & Grill for good drinks, food, and service. Say hi to Katie Lyell behind the bar at Aqua, winner of the Blade’s Best Of Award for Best Rehoboth Bartender. Aqua, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, hosts Taco Tuesdays and half-price burgers on Thursdays, all on the spacious outdoor deck. While you are on Baltimore Avenue make sure to stop by CAMP Rehoboth, the LGBTQ community center. Pick up your copy of Letters and take a peek at the art exhibit in their offices. Maybe even say hello to the new executive director, Robin Brennan, Ph.D. I had the chance to stop in and meet her and my congratulations to the board. I think they made a great choice for executive director and the organization is clearly in good hands. Then stop in the CAMP Courtyard, and get something to eat at Lori’s Oy Vey café, celebrating her 30th season, and still the best chicken salad at the beach. Visit the newly relocated Gallery 50 on Baltimore Avenue, which moved from Wilmington Avenue. Then stop in at Elegant Slumming, also on Baltimore Avenue, say hi to Philip, and shop his exquisite jewelry, and some great artwork. If you have a pet and want to treat them to something nice, stop by Critter Beach on Rehoboth Avenue.
After a day in the sand, and a good dinner, there is the nightlife. Diego’s on Rehoboth Avenue Extended hosts regular entertainment, including drag shows and internationally renowned DJs. A new partially enclosed patio offers an expanded space to hang out. Don’t miss their Sundays with local icon Pamala Stanley, now in her 21st season at the beach; in addition to her Sunday dance party, she performs her “Piano Pam” show on Monday evenings. Then there is always fun at Freddie’s Beach Bar, on 1st Street with its video bar and regular entertainment. Clear Space Theatre on the first block of Baltimore Avenue has a busy summer of shows including “The Cher Show”(June 23-Aug. 27), “Mean Girls” (June 26-Aug. 29), and “Pretty Woman” (July 1-Aug. 25). Clear Space always hosts talented casts including many college students who are getting their first chance to shine. Some come back when they are a little more established. This year that includes Caetano de Sá who first performed at the beach in “Jersey Boys” when he was a student at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, where he earned his BFA in musical theater. He will be back as of May 25 for the summer rep to play Sonny in the production of “The Cher Show,” Martin/Coach Carr in “Mean Girls,” and Mr. Hollister in “Pretty Woman,” along with some cabarets. The incredibly talented Ashley Williams is also back in town and will host a cabaret show on Aug. 2. Tickets for all the shows are available online and they sell out fast.
So, make your plans now to head to the beach. Stay a day, or a week, or more, in a hotel, or a rental house. But make those plans quickly, as things sell out fast in Rehoboth. Look forward to seeing you at the beach!
District of Columbia
Pride faith services in Washington, D.C.
Almost half of all LGBTQ adults in the U.S. are religious
Are you an LGBTQ person of faith or someone exploring spirituality? It is more common than people realize. According to a Williams Institute study published in October 2020, almost half of all LGBTQ adults in the United States are religious. This may seem counterintuitive as any LGBTQ people have complicated relationships with faith because of very real histories of abuse, trauma, and violence.
This violence still continues in the United States, especially following the Supreme Court’s March 2026 decision in Chiles v. Salazar, who ruled Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors violates the First Amendment, but not everyone has encountered this violence, nor do people who have faced it, separate themselves completely from religion. Many people may seek out affirming faith traditions which are prevalent in the DMV area.
For individuals seeking out faith services during Pride 2026, please check out the list below, which will be updated as more events are publicized.
Memorial Service for SaVanna Wanzer
May 17th at 1 pm
Westminster Presbyterian Church (400 I St SW, Washington, DC 20024)
Westminster Presbyterian will host a celebration of life for legendary DC trans rights activist and founder of DC Trans Pride and Black Trans Pride SaVanna Wanzer who was a long-time member of the church. Live music will begin at 12:15 pm before the start of the memorial service. The service will be livestreamed on the Westminster DC Facebook page. A meal will follow the Sunday service.
There will also be a celebratory vigil held on Saturday, May 16th from 6:30-8 pm for friends and family at the church led by LGBTQ organizer Rayceen Pendarvis.
May 23th at 11 am
Downtown Westin (999 9th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001)
This intimate conversation is hosted by Janeé Lee, founder of Queer Ministry, between Black trans and queer people who are surviving religious trauma and navigating their relationship with the church. The workshop, hosted as part of Trans Pride DC, is a chance for people to share their stories at the intersection of queerness and spirituality and to walk away with a spiritual healing guide with affirming scriptures and inclusive theology.
DC Black Pride Worship Service
May 24th at 10 am
Remnant Christian Center (120 West Hampton Avenue, Capitol Heights, MD)
Hosted by The Community Church of Washington DC-UCC, this service will feature speakers and sessions on Black queer faith and unity, including host and speaker Robert D. Wise Jr. for a powerful Pentecost Unity Service. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed in and white.
June 5th at 7 pm
Sixth & I (600 I Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001)
Join Rabbi Jenna will be leading an inclusive, musical service celebrating the diversity of Jewish life in Washington, DC. Happy Hour, which is limited to people 21 and older, will start at 6 pm. The service will start at 7 pm, with dinner at 8:15 pm. The service is free but registration is required, and the kosher-style pescatarian meal does cost money. Register online here.
June 14th at 5 pm
Black Cat (1811 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009)
Muslim Pride is a community-led and funded grassroots performance series centering queer and trans Muslim artists through music, drag and dance. The series was originally founded in 2020 as a way to create affirming spaces where faith, culture, and queerness can coexist. This year’s series features Mercedes Iman Diamond. This year, Muslim Pride expands to Washington, DC, New York City, and Los Angeles. Buy tickets here.
Pride Celebrations and Sunday Worship Service
June 14th all day
Riverside Baptist Church (699 Maine Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20024)
Join Riverside Baptist Church for a day-long Pride celebration beginning with Pride Weekend/Musical Theater Sunday worship service at 10 am. Later that morning and early afternoon, from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, the church will be hosting a Pride Pageant, a technicolor celebration featuring a runway showcase, line dancing, food, and refreshments.
June 22nd at 7 pm
St. Mark’s Episocpal Church (301 A Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003)
Join this interfaith service celebrating affirming faith traditions and intertradition dialogue hosted by queer and trans faith leaders. The interfaith service has been hosted annually for over 40 years, and first began back in the 1980s with faith leaders and queer people of faith coming together to mourn and pray at the site of the AIDS Memorial Quilt on the National Mall. Learn more about the history of the interfaith service here.
June 23rd at 6 pm
Holy Trinity Catholic Church (3513 N St NW, Washington, DC 20007)
Holy Trinity will be hosting its 6th annual Pride Mass. After its debut this past summer, the Pride Mass choir will be singing at the Pride Mass in June, and following the Mass, there will be an annual reception with ice cream and other goodies. Learn more about attending the reception and Holy Trinity’s LGBTQ+ Ministry.
Delaware
Blade Foundation awards 9th journalism fellowship to AU student
Thomas Weaverling will cover LGBTQ issues in Delaware this summer
The Blade Foundation this week announced the recipient of its 2026 Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism is Thomas Weaverling, who is scheduled to graduate from American University with a degree in communication, language, and culture this month.
He will cover issues of interest to Delaware’s LGBTQ community for 12 weeks this summer. The fellowship is named in honor of Steve Elkins, a journalist and co-founder of the CAMP Rehoboth LGBTQ community center. Elkins served as editor of Letters from CAMP Rehoboth for many years as well as executive director of the center before his death in March of 2018.
Kevin Naff, editor of the Blade, welcomed Weaverling and will introduce him to the Rehoboth Beach community at an event this week.
“If the applicants to our fellowship program are any indication, the future of American journalism is very bright,” Naff said. “Thomas stood out for his broad skillset and strong writing and reporting skills and we’re all excited to work with him this summer.”
Weaverling is the ninth recipient of the Elkins fellowship, which is funded by community donations at the Blade Foundation’s annual fundraiser in Rehoboth Beach. This year’s event is scheduled for May 15 at Diego’s and includes a generous sponsorship from Realtor Justin Noble and remarks from Ashley Biden accepting an award on behalf of her brother Beau Biden for his LGBTQ advocacy while serving as Delaware’s attorney general.
“I am incredibly honored and excited to receive the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism,” Weaverling said. “Writing for the Washington Blade has been a goal of mine since I began my freshman year of college and I could not be more thrilled to have this opportunity. I am looking forward to getting to know the LGBTQ+ community in Rehoboth Beach and throughout Delaware.”
Weaverling is graduating cum laude with a concentration in journalism and Spanish. He studied in Spain in 2025 and worked in the office of Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) as a policy intern.
For more information on the fellowship program or to donate, visit bladefoundation.org.
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What’s new in Rehoboth Beach for summer 2026
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