Local
Gay parents, kids participate in ‘Adoption Day’
Brook Rose and Gregg Busch with their newly-adopted son, Nolan Reese Rose-Busch, at an adoption day proceeding last weekend in D.C. Superior Court. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Relatives and friends wept in joy and cheered as at least four gay male couples carried or walked with their children to a stage at the D.C. Superior Court on Saturday, Nov. 17, where judges signed papers finalizing the adoption of their kids.
With D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray and a contingent of family court judges, social workers, and lawyers looking on, the gay couples joined at least 25 straight couples or single parents who had their children’s adoptions finalized during the city’s 26th Annual Adoption Day ceremony.
“The ceremony is designed to celebrate the joy of adoption and encourage area residents to consider adopting or fostering a child in the District’s public child welfare system,” said a statement released by the Superior Court and the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency, which facilitates adoptions in the city.
Among the couples participating in the ceremony were Reginald Wilson and his husband Wesley McCammon, who recently moved from Mississippi to the D.C. area, where they adopted Reginald Jr., 9, and his biological sister, Regina, 10.
As the family was introduced by the ceremony’s emcee, NBC News 4 anchor Barbara Harrison, Wilson wept uncontrollably, saying later he was overcome by joy at the columniation of his and his husband’s dream of becoming a family with children.
Gray, who was sitting nearby, walked over to Wilson and hugged him. About a half hour earlier, the mayor delivered remarks praising the city’s adoption program and expressing support for D.C.’s longstanding policy of allowing same-sex couples to adopt.
“We’ve come to an age of enlightenment where, of course, we recognize traditional families and hope that they will adopt,” Gray said. “But also single adults ought to be considered for adoption because they make wonderful adoptive families,” he told the gathering. “And frankly, I’m proud to be in a city where we have approved marriage equality and we have some of the most loving families in the city who are same-sex couples.”
Chad Copeland, Scooter Ward and their son, Norman Moore with Judge Noel Johnson at an adoption day proceeding last weekend in D.C. Superior Court. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Also participating in the ceremony were D.C. residents Chad Copeland and Kevin “Scooter” Ward and their adopted son Norman, 5; and Silvio Weisner and his husband Jeffrey Weisner and their 10-month-old adopted daughter Madeleine Susannah Weisner.
“She was born just outside of Houston, Texas, and we were there on the day she was born,” Silvio Weisner told the Blade. “We brought her home to D.C. nine days later.”
Judith Sandalow, executive director of the D.C.-based Children’s Law Center, which provides legal services to people seeking to adopt or become foster parents, said the city’s Child and Family Services Agency routinely approves gay people and same-sex couples as foster or adoptive parents.
She said anyone interested in learning more about how to adopt or become a foster parent should contact the agency at 202-671-LOVE or go its adoption/foster care website, adoptdckids.org.
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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